The attitude of the Moscow Patriarchate towards other Orthodox Churches,” Religion, State & Society, 2007, Vol. One of the many manifestations of the revival of religion in the public sphere of Russia is a growing convergence of the activities of the Russian state and religious organizations in the international arena. Mozgovoy, The role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia since 1990: changing dynamics of politics and religion, Edwin Mellen Pr, 2009.
The highest priority of state and church external cooperation is interreligious dialogue, which is one of the central components of Russia's national image and mission. Religion is explicitly mentioned as one of the factors whose influence on international relations is growing. 5. It developed a unique civilization with its "space of Russian language and culture" - the so-called Russian Peace (Russian world).
In addition, the Russian language “has become an integral part of world culture and one. 3 “The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation,” February 5, 2010, courtesy of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Kremlin advocates interfaith dialogue as one of the key elements of Russia's new global role.15 Given these aims of Russian foreign policy, religious diplomacy is proving useful.
14 It is difficult not to notice the influence of Huntington's vision on Russian elites.
The Reasons for the Diplomatic Church-State Collaboration
The Russian Orthodox Church - the undisputed leader of the "traditional club" - sets the standards regarding contacts with the state. The introduction of the foundations of Orthodox culture22 into the school curriculum and the establishment of military and prison chaplains are among the most visible successes of the ROC's determination. 19 During the aforementioned meeting, Vladimir Putin declared his will to increase the presence of "traditional" religions in the federal mass media.
23 All agreements (available in Russian on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate,
The ROC is able to operate outside the borders of the Russian Federation due to its vast canonical territory, which covers the area of the former Soviet Union with the exception of Armenia and Georgia. 33 Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, "Missiya dvizhet diplomatiey" [Diplomacy has been moved by mission], 3 August 2011,
Sergey Lavrov is a declared supporter of the renewal of the historical ties between the ROC and the MFA, and of the participation of the Church in Russian foreign policy. There is also a tradition of communal meetings - on the occasion of Easter - of clergy and state diplomats in the headquarters of the ministry. This is one of the reasons why Islamic organizations certainly pay less attention to international activities than the Moscow Patriarchate does.
Another reason for such a discrepancy is the lack of institutions equivalent to the Department of External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Pashazade is the main partner of the Moscow Patriarchate in initiating and moderating interfaith dialogue in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Mufti of the Caucasus and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is co-chairman of the Interreligious Council of the CIS.
In addition, in 2010, the Consultative Council of Muslims of the CIS was established on the initiative of Mufti Pashazade; it is not surprising that he became the first head of this council. 43 It is worth noting that only in 2011 a body for cooperation with the CIS states was created within the Foreign Affairs Department of the Council of Muftis of Russia.
The Characteristics of the
Religious Diplomacy of the Russian Federation
The existential interests of the state (sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, identity) are related to the closest neighborhood of Russia. 47 Archive of the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, "Tserkov prizvana vesti dialog s mirom na urovne serdtsa" [The Church must conduct a dialogue with the world at the level of the heart], speech of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Metropolitan Kirill at the Moscow Institute of International Relations], February 19, 2002,. Another example of the ROC acting as an "inconspicuous diplomat" is the dialogue between the Polish Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate that began in 2009.
53 Officiel side for Moskva-patriarkatet "Kommyunike po itogam vstrechi predstaviteley Russkoj Pravoslavnoy Cerkvi i Katolicheskoy Cerkvi v Pol'she". 55 Officielt websted for Moskva-patriarkatet, "V khramakh Russkoy Pravoslavnoy Tserkvi molitvenno pochtili pamyat' zhertv massovogo goloda 1932-33 godov." For det ortodokse samfund ønsker ROC at blive betragtet som lederen af den universelle ortodokse kirke.
In the territory of the CIS, the Moscow Patriarchate and the muftis use their influence to soften interreligious tensions and moderate the dialogue between the actors. It is presented as a symbol of successful dialogue between religions in the post-Soviet area. 61 Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, “Mitropolit Smolenskiy i Kaliningradskiy Kirill: 'Ne izbezhish' radikal'nogo otveta'” [Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill: It is impossible to avoid a radical reaction], 27 October 20.
The Moscow Patriarchate contributes to the work of the Russian-Turkish Social Forum established in 2010 on the initiative of two presidents. Moreover, the efforts of the state diplomacy were officially supported by Russian muftis as well as the Moscow Patriarchate. The most important result of Russia's cooperation with the OIC is the functioning of the international Strategic Vision Group: Russia and the Islamic World.
The resolution, which proved highly controversial to some NGOs,66 was seen as a diplomatic success by the ROC. Together with the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Moscow Patriarchate also participates in the work of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), founded in 2005 at the initiative of Turkey and Spain. Another important area of diplomatic "alliance" between the ROC and the Kremlin is UNESCO.
65 Официальный сайт Московской Патриархии, «Совет ООН по правам человека принял резолюцию, посвященную вопросам традиционных ценностей» [Совет ООН по правам человека принял Резолюцию о традиционных ценностях], 25 марта 2011 г. 67 Официальный сайт Московской Патриархии, «Святейший Патриарх Кирилл направил письмо Генеральному секретарю Совета Европы» [Патриарх Кирилл направил письмо Генеральному секретарю Совета Европы], 8 ноября 2011 г.
Conclusions
