Full Diplomatic Ties Discussed
Full diplomatic relations between Russia and the Holy See could be a possibility in the near future, reported the Vatican.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, met today with Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister of the Russian Federation.
"The meeting underscored the existing cordial relations and the possibility of further developing them," said Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls in a press statement issued after the meeting.
The Holy See has relations of a special nature with the Russian Federation and with the Palestine Liberation Organization. They are not full relations, such as the Holy See enjoys with 172 other countries.
In view of future developments, "Minister Lavrov invited Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for relations with states, to Moscow next autumn," revealed Navarro Valls.
Archbishop Lajolo also attended the meeting, as did Vitaly Litvin, Russian ambassador to the Holy See.
"In the course of the meeting," added the director of the Vatican press office, "there was an exchange of viewpoints on bilateral relations between the Holy See and Russia and on the international situation, with particular regard to the dialogue between cultures and to collaboration within international organizations."
ZEN - Zenit (7. juni 2005)