On 14th April 2011, His beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, welcomed to the Patriarchal See the departing Ambassador of Russia to Egypt, His Excellency Mr. Mikhail Bogdanov and his wife Mrs. Elena Bogdanova.
Following the meeting between His Beatitude and the Ambassador in the private Patriarchal Office, they went to the Throne Room where Mr Bogdanov received the Great Cross of the Order of the Lion of St Mark with a Star.
During his brief address His Beatitude spoke of the many centuries of ties of the ancient Patriarchate with Orthodox Russia and Patriarchate of Moscow and stressed also the great collaboration with the Church of Russia and its Venerable Primate Patriarch Kirill. He also praised the 6-year profitable Ambassadorial tenure of Mr Bogdanov in the Land of the Nile and congratulated him on his promotion to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by His Excellency the President of the Russian Republic Mr. Dimitri Medvedev.
The Ambassador thank His Beatitude for the honour given to him and praised his work and him.
Present at the function were His Grace Gabriel of Mareotis, Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria, the Very Reverend Exarch of the Russian Church, Archimandrite Leonid Gorbacev and the Honourable Consul General of Russia in Alexandria, Mr. Sergey Petliakov, accompanied by his wife Mrs. Irini Petliakova.
