Still Running Off at the Keyboard

Can you please clarify the current situation of ties between the Vatican and Russia? What is standing in the way of the establishment of diplomatic relations at embassy-level?

Without getting into technical details, I can say that relations continue to develop very positively, even in international forums. It does not seem to me entirely correct to say that something or someone is creating an “obstacle” to the installation of full diplomatic relations. For the moment, I would rather say that their fully convincing, objective necessity – recognized by both parties – does not exist yet. If I had to choose between form and content, I would opt for the second. It seems to me that from this point of view, we are on the right path, and the form will sooner or later adjust to the content, that is, to the reality it reflects. In any case, the Nunciature is working with all its strength in this direction. I believe that this position is shared by our interlocutors in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.