Today, Friday 4 April 2025, a telephone conversation took place between Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, and His Excellency Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The dialogue was dedicated to the overall picture of world politics, with particular attention to the situation of the war in Ukraine and some initiatives aimed at stopping the military actions. The willingness of the Holy See to continue its humanitarian effort in matters regarding the exchange of prisoners was reiterated.

Finally, some matters regarding religious life and, in particular, the situation of the Catholic Church in the Russian Federation, were examined.

From the Vatican, 4 April 2025