Patriarch Kirill Meets President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev

On 29 September 2017 in Tashkent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev.

Present at the meeting were the head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan; the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, V. L. Tyurdenev; and the chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, V. R. Legoida.

The head of state noted the historic character and special significance of the visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, given the strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan.

During the conversation the question of raising children and young people was raised. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stressed the importance of developing religious education, which makes it possible to bring up the younger generation in a spirit of rejection of pseudo-religious extremism.

Sh. M. Mirziyoyev, in turn, called the 145th anniversary of the Diocese of Tashkent now being marked a significant date and noted the important role of the diocese, and of Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan personally, in developing religious life and strengthening civil peace and harmony in the country.

In his reply His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said, in particular: “I have come to Uzbekistan with warm feelings, above all because I have been here many times — one might say, in different historical eras — and even my memories of visits here in Soviet times are most positive. Today I have already said that the attitude toward religion in Uzbekistan was far better than in Russia. Although the state was headed by Party people who shared the same ideology as in Moscow, one could always sense a certain respect for the religious factor, even if it was perhaps not very openly shown.”

“The Russian people greatly value everything that is now happening in Russia. Russia now occupies a worthy place in the world community and defends its point of view, and this sense of national self-respect is very important for the people,” His Holiness noted.

“It seems to me that the same is now happening in Uzbekistan, especially in connection with your election. I meet various representatives of your country, including those involved in science and education, and we see how this sense of self-respect is growing stronger,” the Primate of the Russian Church stated.

Sh. M. Mirziyoyev and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill discussed a wide range of topics, including the cooperation of the Diocese of Tashkent with the leadership of Uzbekistan.