PRESS RELEASE

A conversation took place in Moscow on March 23 between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States.

The heads of the Russian and Vatican foreign affairs agencies held an exchange of views on a number of topical issues of mutual interest in international politics, particularly those of a new European security architecture and the financial crisis and the prospects for collaboration within the UN and other international organizations. The problems of regional crises also were touched upon, including the questions of settlement in the Middle East, Afghanistan and the Balkans. There was emphasized on both sides the necessity of collective approaches and the observance of the principle of the rule of international law in solving international problems. The sides noted the coincidence of their positions on a whole array of world problems, among them counteraction against the new threats and challenges, as well as questions of humanitarian cooperation.

Considerable attention was devoted to the promotion of inter-civilization and inter-church dialogue, and the struggle against the manifestations of extremism and confessional intolerance.

In discussing the bilateral agenda, the main attention was concentrated on the prospects of cooperation in the fields of culture, science and education, in particular, in questions of the preparation of a joint exhibition of Christian art.

March 23, 2009