Meeting with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexei II and the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus.
At the same time, the state does not intend under any circumstances to interfere in internal church matters, the President stressed.
President Putin noted in particular that the process of reunifying the Russian Orthodox Church is more than an internal church process for Russia – it is the symbol of the rebirth and reunification of the Russian people.