Interview with Alexander Avdeev, diplomatic representative to the Holy See: relations between the Churches and shared initiatives. Looking at the upcoming elections due on 18 March and the Kremlin’s doubts about the Salisbury attack.

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Relations between Russia and the Holy See developed in an unthinkable way just in recent years. A dialogue and cooperation which contrast the new Cold War climate between the West and Putin’s Kremlin . The ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Holy See, Alexander Avdeev, affirmed in this conversation with Vatican Insider.

How would you define the relationship between the Kremlin and the Holy See today?

“Relations between Russia and the Holy See are developing in a friendly way. We have a dialogue first and foremost between the two diplomatic services, political consultations, correspondence and meetings between the two ministers. All this has become normal: this did not exist until a few years ago...”

If one looks at the relationship between the Russian Federation and Europe, this friendship with the Holy See appears to be in contrast with the trend

“Yes, it is true. Mutual respect between us and the Vatican is growing. There are important cultural exchanges, such as the opening in Moscow of an exhibition that sees for the first time in history the Vatican Archives and the Archives of the Russian Federation working together”.

And what about the relations between Catholics and Russian Orthodox?

“Cooperation between the Russian Catholic and Orthodox Churches is also growing. The two Churches met at the conference in Vienna to celebrate the two-year anniversary since the meeting in Havana between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill. There are many plans for the future. There is the theological dialogue, a cultural cooperation dialogue, and there are initiatives to help migrants and the poor. The important issue regarding the aid to Syria is also on the table”.

Russia has played a decisive role in the Syrian scenario. What will the Churches do now?

“They have established an important project for the reconstruction of both Catholic and Orthodox religious buildings that were destroyed by terrorists. Together with the Patriarch of Antioch, they have listed 37 churches that must be rebuilt together thanks to the financing of the Catholic and Orthodox Foundations. It is the first time in history that a similar initiative has been made between our two Churches. A project is also being studied to improve the functioning of some hospitals in Syria, which will provide medical staff- training, medicines and financial aid. Finally, I would like to recall that the delegations- exchanges between the two Churches have increased”.

About the visas: it is well known that the amount of time needed to grant permits to Catholic priests coming from abroad to carry out their ministry in Russia, is one of the problems in relations with the Holy See. Has this changed?

“We are very attentive to this request from the Vatican and I hope that in the coming months a new regulation will come into force to issue working visas for Catholic priests, which are currently very short in duration. In Russia, we have more than one million Catholics: Catholicism is one of our traditional confessions. A new cathedral will be built in Moscow, I think they have already found the location. And other churches will be built in other regions of Russia. There are problems, but they can be solved through dialogue between the Churches and through dialogue with local administrations”.

What’s Moscow’s point of view over the work of Pope Francis on the international scene?

“The Pope is the spiritual father of more than one billion two hundred million Catholics, he has a very important role. Francis’ efforts to achieve security, stability and problem-solving through dialogue and negotiations is very, very important. His strong stance against all forms of terrorism, in Syria as in other countries, is also very valuable; the fight against drugs, the fight against poverty and the inhumane treatment of migrants. We feel he is close to our positions”.

Presidential elections are held in Russia on Sunday 18 March. What is at stake here?

“These elections are not only as important as every call to the polls is, they have a special meaning as they are the first in which a generation of millions of young people- who have never lived under the Soviet Union- will participates for the first time. We have various tendencies in our political life, we are still a very young democratic state: we still need three or four generations to stabilize and well establish our democratic institutions. We often discuss about the kind of civil society we need, the rule of law and how the economy of the country should be.

Can you briefly list the hypotheses being discussed?

“Should the Russian economy be liberal or ultraliberal? Should it be an economy with State participation ? But with what percentage of participation? Normal state capitalism, or more massive participation, with state monopoly? Another major issue concerns the instruments for developing small and medium-size enterprises. In Soviet times, these businesses did not exist. Today, we must choose the best legislative instruments and bank credit to promote them. All this is being discussed very intensively. Then we have to decide how fast the reforms are to be carried out. Rapidly, to ensure all changes during one single generation, or at a normal speed that might last for two to three generations? Some say it will take time, and others say that everything can be done in a few years.

There are various candidates, but polls give Putin winner....

“We have seven different candidates, who express all the current trends: two ultraliberals, two communists (one ultra-communist and the other a bit more moderate), we have President Putin and a president of the industrial union. Putin is mediating between these trends: according to polls, he has between 66 and 73 percent of the votes; for a communist candidate, it would be between 9 and 17 per cent, and for the others, the percentages vary between 5 and 2.

How can we explain this climate of “new Cold War” perceived in the relationship with the United States and Europe?

“I don’t want to offend anyone. But the course of the new president of the United States is evident, and it is that of confrontation-clash rather than that of dialogue. While Europe is living in an economic recession. We see that the process for disarmament is not going forward, and dialogue between countries has been reduced: many international crises have held it back. The war in Syria, the crisis in Korea, sanctions against Russia, the process of mass migration...”.

What can you tell us about the crisis with the British Government after the attempted murder of the former Russian spy Serghej Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the centre of Salisbury?

“The story is quite strange. According to the English press, the gas was Soviet-made. Well, even if we suppose the impossible - if the attacker had really been Russian he would have been just really stupid to use a Soviet gas giving immediately away the origin of the attacker. This special gas was produced by a military chemical factory in Uzbekistan. This factory was controlled by the Americans who had it closed down after having verified that all production had been destroyed. Another detail: the author of the gas formula is a great Russian chemist, who immigrated to the United States 26 years ago, and has worked in American laboratories for all this time. In England, this former Russian spy, who had been swapped nine years ago, had been forgotten. But a week before the attack, British television broadcast a film about his history. Then the attempted murder happened. And finally, it’s strange that right in the hospital near where Skripal and his daughter were hospitalized they had an antidote to the gas used.

What does Russia intend to do?

“First of all, we officially replied that the Russian government was not involved in any way in the attack. We have declared that we are prepared to participate in a joint committee to investigate what has happened together. The answer was: this is Russian gas and the attack was carried out by Russia…And all this a week before our elections. Skripal’s daughter is a Russian citizen, among other things, and our consul in England asked to meet her: she saw the perpetrator of the attack. But the British have prevented the visit. A very strange and provocative story, we are outraged!"