CWN - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has sent a message to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on his fiftieth birthday.

“Being notable for your professional competence and responsibility, you strive to achieve your goals, performing manifold and difficult service for the benefit of the homeland,” Patriarch Kirill of Moscow said of Medvedev, who also served as Russia's president from 2008 to 2012.

“It is gratifying to note your attention to various initiatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and to the preservation of spiritual, historical and cultural heritage of our country,” the patriarch added. “I particularly appreciate the active support you render to the dialogue between the state and the Church.”

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