The Russian government has announced that the Vatican and Russia have established full diplomatic relations.

The announcement came after a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Pope Benedict XIV. For a long period, relations between Moscow and the Vatican were strained as a result of disputes between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches. During the Soviet era, Pope John Paul II angered the Soviet authorities by his unwavering support for opposition groups.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, there was friction as the result of accusations to the effect that the Catholic Church was proselytizing in post-Communist Russia. However, relations with Moscow have improved now that both Pope Benedict XIV and Patriarch Kirill are pursuing a policy of reconciliation. 

Photo: President Dmitry Medvedev and Pope Benedict XIV at the Vatican (ANP/EPA)