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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Please accept my greetings, Your Beatitude. This is our first meeting. I am very happy to see you.
Your church is one of the most ancient Christian churches; it functions, and your parishioners live here, in a predominantly Muslim area.
As you may know, Russia is a multi-confessional country; the majority of our population are Christians of the same eastern Orthodox faith as you and I.
However, a significant number of our citizens are Muslims. These are not migrants like in other countries, but our citizens, who have no other homeland but Russia. This is why several years ago we decided to join the Organisation of the Islamic Conference as an observer.
As you may know, relations between people of different faiths have been developing in our country for centuries, for about a thousand years. These relations are characterised primarily by mutual respect and support and are based on our common moral values.
I know that the current Egyptian leadership shares this approach. Yesterday we had a detailed discussion of this with President el-Sisi. I believe he recently visited your Coptic church for the first time in the history of Egypt.
I hope that this common approach to relations between representatives of different religions will help us in our joint efforts to maintain common moral values and ideals.
I am aware of everything you are doing to resolve humanitarian issues, supporting good friendly relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. They know you in Russia, and you know Russia very well because you used to live in the Soviet Union and speak Russian. I am very pleased to meet you.
Patriarch theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa (retranslated): My President, I shall speak Greek. I would like to thank you for receiving me today, my good friend President Putin.
I live in Egypt and my patriarchy is two thousand years old. I would like to thank you for your love for my country, Egypt.
President el-Sisi is a great leader who is working hard for the benefit of Egypt. I am grateful to him for supporting me and my church.
Egypt is the door to Africa. As for my parish, is it all of Africa, from all over Africa. I am constantly at work meeting here with the poor, I make every effort to make sure Christians and Muslims live in peace here in Egypt.
Egypt is my homeland now, so I hope we live in peace. I would like to thank you, Russia for your assistance.
I would also like to thank you on behalf of my home country Greece. The new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras likes you very much.
I would like you to convey my great love to Patriarch Kirill. We are a large family of Orthodox churches.
I would like to thank you once again for the years I spent in Russia. They will always remain in my memory. May God give you health and many years of life.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
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