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Metropolitan Korniliy: Mr President,

Thank you for the opportunity to have a personal meeting to discuss the interaction between the state and our Old-Rite Church.

On behalf of Russian Old-Believers, I would like to thank you, first of all, for that historic visit to our spiritual centre in Rogozhki in 2017. It was a truly historic event that had an encouraging continuation for us, Old-Believers.

I would also like to thank you for heading the processes of resettling Old-Believers from abroad. We once discussed this process, and now 130 Old-Believer families have been resettled in the Far East from Latin America, 15 new families came to be in the 2–3 years and 30 children were born. I think that this will certainly continue. At present 50 families from Latin America (they visited Russia last year) are ready to move to Russia in 2020.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Did they have problems there? How are they coping?

Metropolitan Korniliy: They are coping well, with God’s help. They are unassuming people. As they say, no need to help, all they need is no interference. Thank God.

Next, I would like to thank you for preparations for the 400^th anniversary of Archpriest Avvakum, which is coming next year. It is a big, momentous, historical event for us Old-Believers. He is the founder of Russian literature; he laid the foundations of Russian literary language. Tolstoy, Gorky and many other great writers acknowledged that the beginning was indeed laid by Archpriest Avvakum.

We, Old-Believers, are preparing. We have had an international forum. In 2020, there will be another forum with the Government’s support. We greatly appreciate your support for this holiday shared by all Old-Believers. I think everything will run smoothly with God’s help.

I would like to discuss these issues in greater detail and thank you once again for your initiatives.

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