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Lukashenka sends greetings to Patriarch Kirill on occasion of his namesday

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on May 24 sent a message of greetings to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill (Cyril I) on the occasion of the patriarch’s namesday.

“The peoples of Belarus and Russia are linked to each other by more than a millenary-old culture, which is based on timeless Christian ideals,” the Belarusian leader said in his message, according to the presidential press office. “It is Orthodoxy that became a life-giving source of faith, spirituality and heroism for many generations.”

“Under your primacy, the Russian Orthodox Church continues its constructive effort to preserve and develop historical and cultural heritage, remaining a standard bearer of high humanistic values and a champion of the ideas of patriotism and civil responsibility,” Mr. Lukashenka noted.

“By your active apostolic and social work, you have gained respect and recognition in society,” he said. “May your noble service continue to bear weighty fruit.” //BelaPAN