February 25, 2014
On 24-25 February 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, visited Cyprus with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
On February 24, the DECR chairman visited the Bishopric of Tamassos and Orini of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos and Orini showed the guest a newly built Metropolitan centre and told him about the manifold social, educational and charitable activities carried out in the Bishopric. The hierarchs continued their brotherly conversation during the dinner. Invited to the dinner were also Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia and Ammochostos, Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and Tillyria, and Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou.
Next day, Metropolitan Hilarion met in Nicosia with His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of New Justiniana and All Cyprus. Taking part in the meeting were Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos and Orini; Bishop Gregory of Mesaoria; archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations; deacon Anatoly Churyakov, a DECR staff member; and hierodeacon Nikolai (Ono).
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk conveyed to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus fraternal greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Among the issues discussed at the meeting were cooperation among the Local Orthodox Churches and various aspects of bilateral relations between the Russian Church and the Church of Cyprus.
Metropolitan Hilarion also met with H.E. Mr. Stanislav Osadchiy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cyprus.
That same day, the DECR chairman and his suite left for Russia.
Source: DECR
