His Beatitude Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia-Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, forwarded it a message, which Bishop Theophanes, Russian spokesman, read to its initial gathering.
Dialogues between religions are of ever greater importance in international politics and interstate relations, says His Beatitude. The Russo-Iranian dialogue took start seven years ago, and he is glad to see its progress. Ever new challenges to interreligious partnership have arisen since then-but they not merely failed to sever links between Christian and Muslim leaders. The links have grown ever closer, on the contrary.
It is religious leaders' duty to solve problems posed in plenty by globalisation, which dominates the session agenda, says the Patriarch.
