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'Bridges, not walls': Vatican says maintaining diplomatic ties with Russia is important

According to Paul Richard Gallagher, keeping an ongoing dialogue has provided an opportunity to exchange reflections and requests. Gallagher also expressed his gratitude to the diplomatic mission for promptly relaying the Holy See’s message to the Russian authorities

ROME, June 14. /TASS/. The Holy See believes it is necessary to maintain diplomatic relations with Russia, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary (Relations with States) to the Holy See’s Secretariat of the State, said at a Day of Russia reception at the Russian embassy to the Vatican.

"The contacts between this embassy and the Holy See have remained constant. This has been made possible thanks to the interests of the Russian Federation to continue to engage <…> as well as the openness of the Vatican Decasteries. For its part, the Holy See maintains this willingness as a confirmation of its constant desire to engage in dialogue in the conviction that in all diplomatic relations, bridges are needed, not walls as isolation is never an effective diplomatic strategy," the high guest said as he thanked the embassy for what he described as a fruitful cooperation.

According to the archbishop, keeping an ongoing dialogue has provided an opportunity to exchange reflections and requests. Gallagher also expressed his gratitude to the diplomatic mission for promptly relaying the Holy See’s message to the Russian authorities.

In turn, Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky said that the Holy See remains one of the few global players who favor diplomacy, peace and dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of interests. "In a situation where traditional methods of building peace no longer work, the Vatican has tirelessly been looking for new ways and opportunities and is willing, as Pope Francis said, to ‘think out of the box’," the Russian diplomat said. While the relations between Russia and the Vatican are challenging, they are "of special value" at this time, he added.

Another high guest at the reception, Italian Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Decastery for the Eastern Churches, assured a TASS reporter that the Vatican would never abandon Russia. "No isolation, you are our brothers, and we are always ready to receive you," the prelate said in fluent Russian. He served as the Holy See’s ambassador, including to Ukraine, and knows the situation in the country well.

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