Moscow, July 23, Interfax – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a telephone conversation on Wednesday to discuss the change to the status of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Cathedral.
“The sides had a meaningful discussion on the situation surrounding the changing status of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul. They emphasized the exceptional cultural, historic and spiritual significance of this unique world heritage site. They noted the importance of preserving it as a universal property and a symbol of peace and concord,” the Kremlin press service said in a statement.
“They also touched on several issues on the regional agenda, including the Libyan settlement and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean,” it said.
Putin and Mitsotakis had a substantive exchange on ways to further develop Russian-Greek interaction in various fields, it said.
The two leaders agreed to maintain further contacts.
The phone conversation took place at the initiative of the Greek side, the Kremlin press service said.