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Vatican envoy to Ukraine visits Moscow
Pope Francis' special envoy Matteo Zuppi has arrived in Moscow. The cardinal began a new visit as part of the mission he was entrusted with last year to facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the exchange of prisoners, the Vatican press service told RIA Novosti.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on the meeting between the cardinal and the head of the department, Sergei Lavrov.
"During the conversation, both sides discussed in detail cooperation in the humanitarian sphere in the context of the conflict around Ukraine and considered a number of consequences for the bilateral and international agenda. The constructive development of the Russian-Vatican dialogue was noted," the statement posted on the department's website says. No other details were provided.
Earlier, the media did not rule out a meeting between the cardinal and the Moscow Patriarch and the all-armed Kirill. However, his adviser Nikolai Balashov denied this. "Due to the busy work schedule of Patriarch Kirill, no new meetings with Cardinal Zupi are expected. Let me remind you that in June last year, the archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church was elevated to the rank of cardinal. However, according to my information, a meeting is planned with guests from Italy and the chairman of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Archbishop Anthony of Volokolamsk, the archpriest told TASS.
This is Zuppi's second trip to Russia. In June 2023, he met with Patriarch Kirill and met with presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. The cardinal also visited Kyiv, Washington and Beijing. This mission led to an agreement to create a mechanism for reuniting minors with their parents and guardians.