Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev (1946- ) of Moscow and all the Russias meets with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Kono Masaharu (1948- )
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias expressed his admiration of the courage of the Japanese people in facing the effects of the recent tsunami. “I’d like to express my admiration for the way that the Japanese people faced this great disaster… with great courage and with much solidarity. We pray that the Japanese people will recover from their distress as soon as possible”, His Holiness said in a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Kono Masaharu in Wednesday in Moscow at the patriarchal working residence in Chisty Pereulok. He went on to say that the tragic events in Japan, “touched a deep chord with our people”, who manifested their empathy not only in gestures of condolences, but also in the extension of practical assistance, including from the MP, which has collected donations for this cause. Patriarch Kirill emphasised that the tsunami greatly affected the Diocese of Sendai and Eastern Japan of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church/MP; the tsunami destroyed one of its church buildings, whilst others suffered much damage. For his part, Ambassador Kono said, “It’s a grievous tragedy, not only for Japan, but for the whole world. We Japanese are endeavouring to restore and revitalise our country. It’s difficult to say how long this process will take… maybe, a few months, maybe, a few years”. At the same time, Kono-san added, “Japan is getting back on its feet. In the course of doing this, we’re very grateful for your support and the support of the people of the Russian Federation”.
6 April 2011
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=40212
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For those having facility in Russian, a video of the meeting is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42B7op97tGk&feature=player_embedded
