The President bowed to Kursk-root icon of the Mother of God which was found in 1295, near Kursk.
After brief prayer, the Russian head of state met with the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Laurus, and Mercurius, Bishop of the Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). Vladimir Putin promised to promote dialogue between the two Orthodox churches in every possible way.
Yuri Ushakov, the Russian ambassador to the United States also took part in the meeting.
See also
The 2005 World SummitWorking Visit to the United States of America
September 14 − 17, 2005