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Patriarch calls for upholding Jerusalem’s ‘special status’ at meeting with Abbas

The preservation of the special status of Jerusalem and guarantees for different religions is the principal condition for preserving peace on this land, the Patriarch stresses

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia Sergei Bobylev/TASS

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. The preservation of the special status of Jerusalem and guarantees for different religions is the principal condition for preserving peace on this land, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said on Wednesday at a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the patriarchal residence of St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow.

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Patriarch Kirill noted that relations between the Palestinian government and the Russian Orthodox Church were vital due to a great number of Christian Orthodox pilgrims visiting Palestine. "The Holy Land is always at the center of our heart. This place is associated with key events of sacred history. That is why everything going on there attracts our close attention," the patriarch stressed.

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