Russian Orthodox Church head Kirill on July 27 thanked Prime Minister Mykola Azarov for helping make his 9-day tour of Ukraine successful.
Azarov said he and Ukraine’s government will continue to work closely with Russian Orthodox church officials.
“Our primary concern is the main holy site Kyiv Pechersk Lavra,” Azarov was quoted as saying by the UNIAN information agency. The prime minister noted a government resolution, according to which all secular objects would be re-located from Lavra.
“Of course, this is not all we are doing. We are facilitating the construction of churches and renovating monasteries in order to strengthen our faith,” Azarov said.
Patriarch Kirill, in turn, thanked Azarov for the work of local authorities in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv who maintained public order during his visit.
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