Vatican top diplomat starts Moscow visit

The Vatican's most senior diplomat began a visit to Russia on Monday aimed at maintaining dialogue with Moscow during tense international relations.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, is due to hold talks Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. His visit is scheduled to last until Thursday and includes meetings with representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and the small local Catholic community.

Gallagher is the most senior Vatican official to visit Russia since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is his first visit to the country since November 2021, before the conflict broke out in February 2022.

The Holy See has promoted humanitarian moves by the two sides, including prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of Ukrainian children, while exploring opportunities for peace negotiations.

Bilateral ties remain delicate, partly because of the alignment of the Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill with the Kremlin. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine have stalled, while both sides have stepped up attacks in recent weeks and civilian casualties have risen.