Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Metropolitan Kirill on his election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia 2009-01-28 00:30:46 In a telephone conversation with the newly-elected Patriarch, Mr Medvedev said he hoped for continued development of the dialogue between church and state, reinforcement of spiritual and moral values, and efforts to strengthen inter-faith harmony in Russian society. On January 27, the Russian Orthodox Church Local Council elected Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad the sixteenth Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.