Putin: Religious minorities’ rights must be in focus of global attention

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes the problem of observance of religious minorities’ rights in some regions must be brought into focus of the world community attention. “I have to mark with anxiety and pain that in many regions of the world, particularly in the Middle East and in North Africa, inter-confessional hostilities are on the rise, and rights of religious minorities, including Orthodox Christians are infringed upon,” Putin told top clerics of fifteen Local Orthodox Churches on the occasion of the 1,025th anniversary since the adoption of Christianity by Kievan Rus. “I believe this acute problem must be a matter of close attention for the whole world community,” the president stressed. He added that efforts aimed at preventing conflicts among civilizations, fraught with most serious upheavals, are in demand now, and “Russia with its huge experience of establishing and maintaining inter-confessional peace and accord is ready to share it with the other states”. Putin pledged that Russia will keep pursuing an active constructive policy aimed at an early political settlement of conflict situations. “In these efforts we pay much attention to the establishment of productive cooperation among confessions and cultures,” he said. “And of course active efforts and support of Local Orthodox churches are very important for us here,” the president stressed.