Russian, Vatican leaders meet, express hope for improved relations

Published: 2005-06-07

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A meeting between Russia's foreign minister and top Vatican officials left both sides hopeful for improved relations under Pope Benedict XVI. The foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, met for private talks June 7 with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's leading foreign affairs expert. A statement from the Vatican press office said the talks included an exchange of views on bilateral and international issues, with particular attention to the "dialogue between cultures" and opportunities for cooperation in international organizations. "The encounter confirmed the cordial relations that exist and the possibility of further developing them," the statement said. To pursue those possibilities, the foreign minister invited Archbishop Lajolo to visit Moscow next fall for another round of talks, it said.

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