VATICAN CITY (Sputnik) — Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will visit Russia on August 20-24, diplomatic sources close to the Holy See told Sputnik on Wednesday.
The sources confirmed earlier reports that Parolin, who announced his upcoming visit to Russia earlier this year without specifying the dates, would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and other senior representatives of the Russian government and church.
12 February 2017, 18:04 GMT
On Tuesday, Parolin told Italian Corriere Della Sera newspaper that one of the aims of his trip was to make preparations for the potential trip of Pope Francis to Russia.
In July, the Vatican secretary of state told Italian Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper that the Holy See had always considered important the relationship with Eastern Europe and Russia.
