Russia –Vatican: Telephone Conversation Between Lavrov and Archbishop Gallagher
Kremlin: the focus was on the international agenda and the development of relations between Russia and the Vatican
On Friday, April 4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a “lengthy and thorough” telephone conversation with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in an official statement that during the conversation “the sides exchanged views on key issues on the international agenda of mutual interest.”
Special attention was paid to the situation in Ukraine: Lavrov briefed the Secretary of the Holy See on the ongoing contacts between Russia and the United States, emphasizing the importance of political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. According to the Russian foreign minister, the crisis cannot be resolved without “the mandatory and reliable elimination of its root causes.”
For Moscow, this means the need to demilitarize Ukraine, ensure the neutral status of this former Soviet republic, and guarantee that the country does not join NATO. In addition, Lavrov drew the archbishop’s attention to the persecution to which the Russian Orthodox Church has been subjected in Ukraine in recent years.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov “expressed his deep and sincere gratitude to the Holy See and personally to Pope Francis for assistance in resolving humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners.”
At the end of the conversation, Lavrov and Gallagher discussed the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Holy See, paying “special attention to interaction in a number of humanitarian spheres. The parties confirmed their mutual interest in continuing the constructive dialog.”
