On January 10, 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), who is on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land made with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, visited the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to meet with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine.
They were joined in their talk by Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, secretary-general of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda, secretary of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem Synod, Archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, and Hieromonk Dometian (Markarian), Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.
The sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern. In particular, they touched upon the situation of Christians in the Middle East, various matters of bilateral relations between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Moscow and problems on the agenda of inter-Orthodox relations.
In conclusion of the meeting, which lasted for over an hour and a half and was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the sides exchanged tokens of the meeting.
(Source: DECR Communication Service)