Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has expressed the hope that Russia and Europe will turn "the page of misunderstanding."

Axar.az reports citing TASS.

"The conversation [with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland] today was positive and substantial. <…> I don’t want to go into detail, because this is a political issue. I try to avoid such comments, but I do hope that Russia will take its place in the Council of Europe and will continue to cooperate with everyone," he told reporters on Monday summing up the results of his visit to Strasbourg.

The patriarch added that the Council of Europe’s decisions were important for ordinary people living in Europe as well. "I hope that everything will resume its natural course, and this page of misunderstanding will be turned," he added.

The primate of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived in France on a visit on May 25. On Sunday, May 26, he performed the rite of great consecration of the Church of All Saints in Strasbourg.