Russian President Vladimir Putin and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed in a telephone conversation the development of bilateral cooperation, as well as the situation with the change in the status of St. Sophia Church in Istanbul. This was reported by the Kremlin's press service on Wednesday. The conversation was initiated by the Greek side.
"Ways of further development of the Russian-Greek cooperation in various areas were discussed. The need to intensify the work of the Commission on Economic, Industrial and Scientific-Technical Cooperation with an emphasis on expanding the legal framework of bilateral relations was noted," the report says.
Also "they also considered the situation with the change in status of the Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul, underscoring the exceptional cultural, historical and spiritual value of this unique World Heritage Site and the importance of preserving it as a treasure of all mankind and a symbol of peace and accord," the press service informed.
In addition, according to the Kremlin, the two leaders also touched upon "a number of issues on the regional agenda, including the Libyan peace process and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean". Putin and Mitsotakis agreed to maintain further contacts.
On July 10, the State Council of Turkey, the country's supreme administrative court, annulled a 1934 decision to turn Hagia Sophia Cathedral into a museum. Immediately after that, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that he signed a decree on turning the cathedral into a mosque and starting Muslim worship services there. UNESCO, a number of countries around the world as well as the Russian Orthodox Church regretted this decision.
The Cathedral of Hagia Sophia - Aya Sophia was founded by Christian Emperor Justinian and opened on December 27, 537. The cathedral for about a thousand years was the largest temple in the Christian world. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans and the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the cathedral was converted into a mosque, but since 1934, by decree of the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Ataturk, the building became a museum and was subsequently included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from RIA Novosti, TASS