WASHINGTON DC: October 19, 2009
The Primate of the Russian Church Abroad Meets With the Ambassador of the Russian Federation

On October 15, 2009, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, met with the Ambassador of Russian Federation, Mr Sergei Ivanovich Kislyak. The meeting was held at the Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC. Present at the meeting were Mrs Natalia Mikhailovna Kislyak, Archpriest Victor Potapov, Rector of ROCOR’s St John the Baptist Cathedral in the nation’s capital, his matushka Maria Sergeevna and Assistant to the Ambassador, Georgiy Evgenievich Borisenko.  
 
During a cordial conversation over dinner, Mr Kislyak inquired about the recent trip to Russia of the ROCOR delegation with the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God. His Eminence described in detail the history of the miraculous icon and shared his impressions of how the Russian believers in Moscow and Kursk warmly and piously greeted the Hodigitria of the Russian Diaspora. His Eminence presented Sergei Ivanovich and Natalia Mikhailovna a large copy of the Kursk-Root Icon and told them about the plans of the Synod of ROCOR to regularly bring the wonder-working icon to Russia.  
 
Further in the casual conversation much was said about the central role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the revival of spiritual life in Russia and in the Diaspora.  Also discussed were opportunities for cooperation between the Russian Embassy and the parishes of ROCOR.