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Russian patriarch’s visit to Latvia postponed — Latvian ForMin

Patriarch Kirill accepted the invitation to visit Latvia when President Andris Berzins made his first official visit to Russia in December 2010
Patriarch Kirill Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Patriarch Kirill
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

RIGA, January 19. /TASS/. A visit to Latvia by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has been postponed “to a later date,” the Latvian Foreign Ministry spokesman Karlis Eihenbaums said on Monday.

Patriarch Kirill accepted the invitation to visit Latvia when President Andris Berzins made his first official visit to Russia in December 2010. The patriarch’s visit was scheduled to be held on May 17-18, 2014.

In the spring 2014, Berzins sent a letter to Patriarch Kirill to ask him to postpone the visit due to the situation in Ukraine. The president’s spokeswoman, Liga Krapane, said Berzins proposed to postpone the visit, most likely to the autumn.

Patriarch Kirill said he “calmly treats” the Latvian authorities’ request. “I’m ready to make a visit to Latvia shortly with warmth,” he added.

However, the visit did not take place in the autumn. “The Latvian Foreign Ministry has not taken any decisions in this respect because, really, it is necessary to find the proper time, which would be suitable to both parties. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia wants to arrive to Latvia to meet with his brothers in spirit — Christians. We should find the best time for the visit to avoid any political component,” Eihenbaums said.