13 November 2018, on his first state visit to the Republic of Singapore, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony of the laying of the Foundation stone of the Russian cultural center and Russian Orthodox Church in Singapore, reports patriarhiei.
Vladimir Putin has arrived in located in the Russian sector of the tent on the street in Rangoon, after him there came the President of the Republic of Singapore halimah Yacob.
Speaking at the ceremony were the Minister of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and senior Minister of state in the Ministry of culture of Singapore for community and youth SIM Ann. The head of the Russian diplomatic Agency noted in his speech that “the construction on the Singapore land of the Russian cultural temple complex will give an impetus to the expansion of cultural ties between our peoples.”
Senior Minister of the Government of the Republic of Singapore, MS SIM Ann, in his speech stressed that “being a multinational and multi-religious society, Singapore welcomes the Russian Orthodox Church”.
After these speeches, the Presidents of Russia and Singapore held onto the podium and lifted the cloth that covered the Foundation stone.
Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, Manager of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in East and Southeast Asia, said the prayer at the laying of the first stone of the Russian cultural center and the Dormition Church of the Russian Orthodox Church and sprinkled the stone with Holy water.
The opening ceremony was attended by members of official Russian delegation, including assistant to the President Yuri V. Ushakov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Russian-Singapore intergovernmental Commission Maxim Akimov, the Chairman of state Corporation “Bank for development and foreign economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)” Igor Shuvalov (in the period of the chairmanship to which in the Russian-Singapore intergovernmental Commission, an agreement was signed about the opening in Singapore of the Russian cultural centre Russian Orthodox Church), Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC “FosAgro” A. G. Guryev, General Director of JSC “FosAgro” A. A. Guriev, the Minister of foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore (2004-2011) George Yeo (in the framework of which in Moscow in 2009, his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill raised the question of the appearance in Singapore for temple building existing in 2006 of the assumption parish), the Russian Ambassador in Singapore A. A. Tatarinov, Ambassador of Singapore to Russia, MS lim Kheng Hua, Deputy head of Rossotrudnichestvo M. D. Bryukhanov, a DECR staff member D. Petrovsky, and the clergy and parishioners of Holy Dormition parish in Singapore.
On the same day the President of the Republic of Singapore halimah Yacob gave a state dinner at the state residence of Istana in honour of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, which was also attended by the Manager of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Eastern and South-East Asia, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, and a DECR staff member Dmitry Petrovsky.
“It is symbolic that — as already mentioned — this year we celebrated the anniversary of 50 years of diplomatic relations. During this period, our cooperation has been developing steadily, with new content. Established between us relations are based on mutual respect and trust. This was confirmed and held the ceremony of laying the first stone of the Foundation of the first Russian cultural centre and Orthodox Church here in Singapore.
I am sure that this gesture and the subsequent construction of this center will serve as a good basis for the development of bilateral relations, especially at the level of people who will come here in Singapore, more and more, to be acquainted with your country and will have the opportunity to visit the Russian Orthodox Church and our cultural center. And the citizens of Singapore will have the opportunity to experience the culture of the Russian Federation”, — said Vladimir Putin in his speech at the official reception.
Using materials of press service of the President of the Russian Federation