On 23 April 2012, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), met with ambassadors of EU member states to Russia. The meeting was held as a business lunch at the Embassy of Ireland.
Present were Ambassador Philip McDonagh of Ireland, Ambassador Guy Trouveroy of Belgium, Ambassador István Iydyarto of Hungary, Ambassador of Italy Antonio Zanardi Landi, Ambassador of the Netherlands Ronald Keller, Ambassador of France Jean de Gliniasty, Ambassador Peter Kolarz of Czechia, and councilor Gavin Evans of the European Union delegation to Russia. Metropolitan Hilarion was accompanied by Miguel Palacio of the DECR secretariat for distant foreign countries.
Discussed was a wide range of issues, such as the situation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the European countries, inter-Christian dialogue, and the role of traditional moral values in European societies. The DECR chairman answered many questions.