Patriarch Irinej of Serbia received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov. The reception took place in the Patriarchate of Serbia in Belgrade on June 18, 2020.
In an open and friendly conversation, Minister Lavrov reiterated the support of the Russian government for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija. Minister Lavrov expressed his support for the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro as well and pointed out that only by strengthening the unity of Orthodox peoples could the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro be strengthened.
Patriarch Irinej expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia were going to participate in the ceremonies of the great consecration of the Memorial Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava at Vracar, Belgrade, at the end of 2020.
During the meeting, the report on the course of final works on the Memorial Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava was submitted, as well the short review of its financing.
Patriarch Irinej expressed his gratitude to Minister Lavrov for the great aid of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in providing 10 million euros for making mosaics, and emphasized that with the great support of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, the Government of the Republic of Serbia had provided selfless financial support in the amount of 32 million euros. Up to the present, 85 percent of mosaics for the Cathedral of Saint Sava were delivered and paid, while the delivery and the assembly of the remaining 15 percent of mosaics were expected in the next two months.
The reception was attended by the Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch, Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, the Secretary-General of the Serbian President, Nikola Selaković, and the Personal Secretary of Patriarch Irinej, Dejan Nakic.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
