Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril received the President of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan in the Patriarch working residence. As the press office of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia informs, Ara Abrahamyan thanked His Holiness for the meeting, stressing that relations with the Russian Orthodox Church are of great importance for many representatives of the Armenian Diaspora in Russia. 

Welcoming the guest, His Holiness Patriarch Cyril said that he highly appreciates the contribution of the Union of Armenians of Russia in Russian -Armenian relations. "Russian and Armenian peoples have fought together and supported each other for centuries, lived in the same state, and when Armenia became a sovereign state, nothing changed in our relations, on the contrary, the relations became more profound," the Patriarch said.
 
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia also stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church, as the Churches have a common position on many socially relevant issues. 
His Holiness Patriarch Cyril and Ara Abrahamian discussed the construction of the Orthodox monastery in Armenia which is underway and will be passed to the Russian Orthodox Church upon completion.
The Russian Patriarch and President of the Union of Armenians of Russia exchanged gifts.