Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived on Mount Athos at the Chalkidiki peninsula, Saturday at noon, where he was greeted by a delegation of the monastic community and representatives of the Greek government, including Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. Following Putin’s visit in Athens, Friday, where he met with Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the Russian President will stay at Mount Athos in a one day pilgrimage. Putin visited Mount Athos for the first time in 2005. The Russian President was received at Karyes, Mount Athos’s administrative capital, where he observed the liturgy and later met with with President Pavlopoulos. Putin is scheduled to depart for the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon where Russian Patriarch Cyril, who arrived on Mount Athos Friday, will receive him. The whole of Mount Athos is under tight security measures.

During his speech, Vladimir Putin exalted the spiritual work of Mount Athos and he thanked the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece for their support in the relations between Greece and Russia and their contribution to his visit to the Holy Mountain. ‘There is great work concerning the moral and ethical values done at Mount Athos’, said Putin. On his part, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos stressed the values promoted at Mount Athos were those of solidarity and the pursuit of peace, which were so needed in times of crises.