Head of Turkish Administration for Religion holds meetings in Moscow

Mehmet Gormez, head of the Turkish Administration for Religion, has met Chairman of the Russian Mufti Council Ravil Gaynutdin in Moscow, at the invitation of the Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Kirill, TRT reports.

The sides will discuss the clerical education of Muslims in Russia, exterior and interior decoration of the new Moscow Cathedral Mosque. A technical group from the Turkish Administration for Religion will arrive in Moscow in January 2012 for construction of the mosque.

Gormez and Gaynutdin met Rector of the Moscow Islamic University Marat Murtazin. They noted positive development of bilateral ties. Turkey is taking part in composing a three-tome encyclopedic dictionary for Islam on the Russian language. It also plans to support in publishing literature for education, IslamRF reports.

Gormez also met Kirill in his Moscow residence.  They expressed willingness to continue the clerical tradition and dialogue.