RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL VISITS VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, MAR 3, 2003 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this afternoon by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office:

"The under-secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Pietro Parolin, received this morning in the Vatican Aleksej Meskov, under-secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Russian Federation.

"Minister Meskov wished to inform the Holy See about the position of the Russian government on the international situation at the present moment. During the talks, a convergence with the Holy See position was noted."

OP;...;...;MESKOV; NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20030303;Word: 90;