His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has congratulated Mintimer Shaymiyev with his 85-th birthday

At a meeting with State Counselor of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaymiyev in Kazan on 20 January, The Kazan and Tatarstan Metropolitan Kirill read out the congratulation from His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Shaymiyev with his 85-th birthday.

«Dear Mintimer Sharipovich! From the bottom of my heart I congratulate you with this important date of your 85-th anniversary.

You have dedicated all your life to serving the Motherland. Today the republic is a flourishing region with established good-neighborly relations among people of different ethnicities and religions.

I highly appreciate your facilitation of the reconstruction of the historical Cathedral of the Kazan Virgin Icon which I had the honour to consecrate last year.  It is very pleasant that at the post of the State Counselor of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Reginal Fund for Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments you continue working hard for comprehensive development of your native land and for consolidation of traditional moral and spiritual values in the society.

I wish you spiritual and bodily strength, the help from above and success in all good deeds and undertakings”.