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Lavrov: Russia does utmost to free metropolitan abducted in Syria

“We deeply regret that problems Syria’s Christians are living through do not sidestep you,” he said
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X Yazigi (L) EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X Yazigi (L)
© EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV

MOSCOW, January 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia does its utmost to release a metropolitan abducted in suburbs of the north Syrian city of Allepo last April, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his opening remarks to a meeting with Patriarch John X of the Great City-of-God Antioch and all the East on Wednesday.

“We deeply regret that problems Syria’s Christians are living through do not sidestep you,” he said.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia recalled earlier that the fate of two Christian hierarchs - Metropolitan Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, brother of Patriarch John X, and Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo - remained unknown.

Moreover, Mother Superior Pelagia Sayyaf and nuns from the world-famous St Thekla convent in the Syrian village of Maaloula kidnapped last December have been still held hostage.