DECLARATION ON VISIT BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 1999 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this afternoon by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, on the visit today to Pope John Paul and to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, by Igor Sergheevich Ivanov, foreign affairs minister of the Russian Federation:

"In the course of the discussions points of view were exchanged on international current affairs, with particular reference to the situation in the Russian Federation. On this matter, the hope was also expressed that a rapid political solution would be found to the conflict in Chechnya.

"On the subject of relations between the State and the Catholic Church in Russia, a number of questions regarding the application of the law on religious liberty were examined, as was the improvement of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Russian Federation."


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