On May 2, 2012, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, met with a delegation of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. The delegation was led by Japan’s former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, now chairman of the Party’s Policy Research Committee and member of the Chamber of Representatives of the Japanese Parliament.
Metropolitan Hilarion told the guests of the importance for the development of relations between Russia and Japan of the work accomplished by St. Nicholas of Japan, Equal-to-the-Apostles and the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church founded through his missionary efforts, and of the role the Russian Orthodox Church plays in society today and its participation in global political and public processes.
Mr Maehara expressed special gratitude to Metropolitan Hilarion for the meeting and meaningful talk.