Russia, Vatican establish diplomatic ties

ITALY: Russia and the Vatican have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations, ending long-standing tensions, the Kremlin announced Thursday after President Dmitry Medvedev met Pope Benedict XVI.

“President Medvedev told Pope Benedict XVI that he had signed a decree concerning the establishment of full diplomatic relations with the Vatican,” Russian presidential spokeswoman Natalia Timakova said.

“He asked the Foreign Ministry to lead discussions to establish the relations and raise the level of representation to apostolic nuncio and embassy,” she added.

Since 1990, the two sides have maintained representation below the rank of ambassador.

The Vatican confirmed in its own statement: “It was decided to establish full diplomatic relations.” It welcomed the “cordial ties” between the two.

Relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church have been tense for centuries, and were again strained in recent years by Orthodox accusations of Catholic proselytising in post-Soviet Russia.

During their meeting, the Russian President presented the Pope with a box decorated with an image of Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow which was pulled down after the Russian Revolution but rebuilt at the end of Soviet rule.

He also offered him 22 new volumes of an Orthodox encyclopedia. Medvedev’s predecessor, Vladimir Putin, had presented the Pope with the first volumes at their meeting in 2007.

ROME, Friday, AFP