MOSCOW, October 26 (RIA Novosti) - Vatican City's foreign minister Giovanni Lajolo arrived in Moscow on an official visit Wednesday. The Vatican official, who is visiting Moscow for the first time, will stay in the country from October 26 to October 30 to hold talks with Metropolitan Kirill, the head of external relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, and visit the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.
Lajolo will discuss the reformation of the United Nations and prospects for Russia-Vatican relations in the context of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He is also expected to focus on the situations in Iraq, the Middle East, and the Balkans.
Bilateral issues will include the practical implementation of agreements reached during previous Russia-Vatican talks, in particular the development of cultural exchanges.
