Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government

On September 28, 2025, a reception was hosted by Mr. Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, on the occasion of the visit to Erbil of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

During the reception, Metropolitan Anthony and Mr. Dizayee held talks focused on relations between the peoples of Russia and Northern Iraq, as well as the development of interreligious dialogue.

The meeting was also attended by: Mr. M.O. Rubin, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Erbil; Mr. Daban Shadala, Deputy Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government; Mr. Ardawan Hassan, Head of the Russia and CIS Affairs Division of the Department of Foreign Relations; Mr. Jamal Jalal, Head of the Asia and Europe Division of the Department of Foreign Relations; Mr. Danar Mustafa, Acting Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Russia and President of the Foundation for the Support and Development of Russian–Kurdish Cultural and Social Relations; Chorbishop Samano Odisho, Representative of the Assyrian Church of the East in Russia; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations; and Rev. Nikolay Vasin, Secretary to the DECR Chairman.

DECR Communication Service/Patriarchia.ru