All news

Lavrov: Terrorism has nothing in common with professing true religious values

Radicals should be above any religion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the "Rome: Mediterranean Dialogue" conference
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

ROME, December 11 /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for exerting every effort to show that terrorism has got nothing in common with professing true religious values, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the "Rome: Mediterranean Dialogue" conference on Friday.

"The war on terrorism is also being waged in the hearts and minds of people," Lavrov went on to say. "It is necessary to exert all efforts to show that terrorism has got nothing in common with professing true religious creeds or protecting the right of conscience. Radicals should be above any religion. At the same time, it is necessary to protect true religious values," the Russian foreign minister said.

He added that Russia had accumulated great experience in ensuring the co-existence of people of various creeds, including Orthodox Christians and Muslims who have lived side by side for centuries.

"We should also remember about the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. The exodus of Christians is a tragedy not only for the (Christians) themselves but also for the whole region, which is under threat of losing its cultural diversity," Lavrov said.