Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at a joint press conference with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, after their hour-plus-long meeting in Moscow, expressed his pleasure that relations between the Vatican and the Russian Federation continue to be characterized by “trust, friendship and pragmatism.” He reported that their discussions had been “detailed and wide-ranging,” covering many of the crises in the world.
Vatican News likewise reported that the Archbishop and the Foreign Minister had “identified several areas of convergence on the main international issues,” and agreed “on the importance of continuing dialogue between the Russian Federation and the Holy See.” Prior to his Russia trip, Gallagher had been in Ukraine, from July 17-21.
The visit, in sum, despite their differences, strengthened this channel of communication which could prove so vital for world peace.
Lavrov welcomed the fact that the Archbishop had paid a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring those who were killed in the fight against Nazism in World War II. “This is particularly significant against the backdrop of increasing attempts in Europe to revise the outcomes of World War II and falsify its history—and, most importantly, in a context where neo-Nazism is increasingly raising its head in many European countries, including through the incitement and arming of the Kiev regime to continue its war against the Russian Federation, our shared history, and the history of its own people.”
