“You are known throughout the world as an authoritarian politician and an outstanding statesman who is not indifferent to the fate of your Motherland and your people,” reads the congratulatory note, posted on the official website of the Patriarchate. – Now, once again, you have been given the great trust of fellow citizens who expect from you further social and economic development of the country, the establishment of peace and harmony in society.
The Patriarch emphasized that the peoples of Russia and Israel have historically had good and friendly relations, which is greatly facilitated by the fraternal interaction of the Jerusalem and Moscow Patriarchates. According to him, a special contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation between our countries and Churches is made by the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, which has been serving the Holy Land for a long time.
