State determined to support social, educational mission of Church - Putin

30 June 2008, 10:33

Moscow, June 30, Interfax - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for its weighty contribution to the unification of the Russian world and promised it support from the state.

"From all my heart I want to thank everyone who is contributing to the good cause of unification of the Russian world," he said at a Saturday Kremlin meeting on the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Rus.

"The state intends to continue supporting the initiatives of the Church aimed at strengthening civic and religious harmony, the social, cultural, educational and charitable missions of the church," Putin said.

"From the very start the Orthodox Church has been tolerant to other creeds and this very stance of the Russian Orthodox Church helped to build Russia as a state of not only many peoples but many religions," he said.

Putin was satisfied with the development of the dialogue between the state and the church. "We will continue working with the Russian Orthodox Church in this direction," he said.

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