President Vucic and Minister Lavrov in Saint Sava Cathedral

Video footage by Tanjug, visit to the Saint Sava Cathedral  (from 1:23:00)

President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr. Sergez Lavrov visited the Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade and layed flowers on the grave of Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose on 15 December 2020.

On that occasion, Minister Lavrov read a letter from the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of the completion of works on the Saint Sava Cathedral. The Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian people on the completion of the mosaic work in the Saint Sava Cathedral and pointed out that the cooperation between Serbian and Russian masters in that endeavour is a symbol of brotherly friendship and spiritual closeness between the two peoples.

President Vucic thanked the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Head of Russian Diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov, for their help that Russia provided in the construction of the Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade. - For more than 100 years, there has been an idea to build the Saint Sava Cathedral. We have struggled for decades, but with the great support and help of our Russian friends, we managed to build and do most of the work in the last decade, President Vucic reminded and added that he was sure, knowing the blessed Patriarch Irinej, that he would be proud today to be with Mr. Lavrov in the Cathedral. - He would look at the domes, admire them, as well as the mastery of Russian artists. It is our job today to say a big thank to President Putin and to say that it is magnificent, to say that we have the most beautiful temple in the world, said President Vucic and once again asked the Russian Minister to express his gratitude to the President of Russia.

The high guests were welcomed by His Gracd Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, vicar of the Serbian Patriarch and the head of the Saint Sava Cathedral, as well as long-time closest associates of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose: personal Patriarch's Secretary, subdeacon Dejan Nakic and subdeacon Vladimir Jelic, manager of the Patriarchal Court.