Khalifa lauded for church permission

11 September 2007

ABU DHABI — Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation to the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for facilitating the construction of an Orthodox Church in the UAE for the Russian community living in the country.
At a meeting also attended by Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department of External Relations, and Pastor Alexander, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sharjah, the Russian President said that UAE stood distinct with its faith in religious tolerance, its penchant for dialogue between civilisations and coexistence with different nations.

Metropolitan Kyrill hailed the spirit of tolerance and the moderation which are evident in the wise policies of the UAE, adding that the Russian Orthodox Church would strive to instil the same spirit among its followers living in the UAE.