Archbishop Antonio Mennini, up until now the Pope’s representative to the Russian Federation, has now been appointed the Holy See’s first apostolic nuncio to the country.
The archbishop presented his letters of credence to Foreign Affairs Minister Sergej Lavrov on July 15. This follows the agreement in December 2009 between Pope Benedict XVI and President Dmitry Medvedev to upgrade relations to full diplomatic ties between the Holy See and Russia, which raises the level of representation to apostolic nuncio and embassy respectively. Since 1990 representation has been maintained at the level below that of ambassador.
In greeting the new Nuncio, Alexander Krusko, the vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, observed how relations between the Vatican and Russia are “characterized by a growing understanding and spirit of collaboration.” He called for “a fruitful collaboration in the great moral and ethical challenges posed to man today.”
Archbishop Mennini in response conveyed the Pope’s greeting to the Russian president, promising the Holy See’s “collaboration for a further reinforcement of relations with the government, as well as for the spiritual and moral growth of the Russian people.”
On June 26, His Excellency Mikolay Sadlichov in Rome had first presented his letters of credence as the first Russian ambassador to the Holy See.