During her official visit to Greece, Ms. Valentina Matviyenko, chairperson of the Council of the Federation, met with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece.
The chairperson of the Council of the Federation expressed her appreciation to the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church for his efforts aimed at developing the inter-Church dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Ms. Matviyenko also noted the important role of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos in preserving Christian values and developing friendly relations between the people of Russia and Greece.
The Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church emphasized that Russia and Greece have been united by centuries-old ties and cooperation.
“In the hardest time for Greece, the time of the Turkish yoke, we received help from Russia,” Archbishop Ieronymos said. “Many Greek cultural and church figures lived in Russia and left their mark on its culture. Today, when the crisis poses a challenge for people all over the world, it is highly important to combine our efforts.”
The participants in the meeting discussed the situation in Syria, as well as the situation of its Christian population.
“The fate of the Christian population in the Middle East is matter of great importance,” the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church said. “It is a very delicate issue which deserves attention of the whole world,” the website of the Council of the Federation reports.
