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Russian diplomat believes Vatican will continue improving relations with Russia

Alexander Avdeyev arrived in the Vatican in the very midst of a crisis caused by the resignation of Father Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

VATICAN, February 27 (Itar-Tass) – Alexander Avdeyev, the recently appointed Russian ambassador to the Holy See, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday that the Roman Catholic Church would continue the policy of Pole Benedict XVI aimed at improving relations with the Russian Orthodox Church irrespective of whom the forthcoming papal conclave was going to elect as a new Pontiff.

Alexander Avdeyev arrived in the Vatican in the very midst of a crisis caused by the resignation of Father Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) and just plunged into the daily events by his own acknowledgement.

The Russian ambassador believes that in almost 8 years of papacy Pope Benedict XVI used many points of convergence in international politics of the two states. The Vatican and Russia come out for “peaceful settlement to the existing conflicts; they fight for the preservation of Europe’s cultural identity and for a moral approach to resolving problems of modern society,” Avdeyev went on to say.

Avdeyev will present his credentials to the Vatican’s new sovereign. So far it remains unclear when exactly the Conclave or a meeting of the College of Cardinals is going to make the final decision on election of the new head of the Roman-Catholic Church.

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