Shaimiev hopes that the elected Patriarch Kirill will continue to pursue the policy of effective cooperation of the main confessions in the Russian Federation.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev considers teaching religious toleration as one of the Russian society's chief tasks.

"Russia is a multiethnic country and along with conventional religions there are different other confessions. Therefore it is an essential task to teach toleration to the society,” Mintimer Shaimiev told Iterfax.

Thereupon he expressed hope that the elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will pursue the work towards fruitful cooperation with other conventional confessions.

"Late Patriarch Alexius II pursued this policy. It is beyond any doubt that newly sworn in Patriarch Kirill can succeed in this sphere. Nowadays, as never before, it is important to consolidate the foundations of spirituality and morality in our society. This is the task for both the government's and for main religions of our country ", the Head of Republic emphasized.

He also noticed that during the Local Council the Metropolitan Kirill expressed a relevant message about the similarity of conventional religions in their moral aspirations as they urge to join hands in growing faith, they also turn the believers to reconciliation, friendship between nations and confessions. As the President of Tatarstan noted, after long years of vain and needless attempts to form an atheistic structure of society the citizens have got back their constitutional right for religious freedom, therefore the role of the clergymen is especially significant in our country.

"I highly respect the choice of Local Council members who elected the Metropolitan Kirill by a majority vote. I met with him many times and I am impressed by his ability to explain the Word of God to the believers with simple and clear language", - Mintimer Shaimiev said. According to him, it concerns the Metropolitan's interviews to the mass media and, particularly, to the television. As the President of Tatarstan noted, the Metropolitan's weekly program "Word of the Pastor" has educational value not only for believers. "It is remarkable, that the Metropolitan Kirill does not avoid any relevant issue, he answers the citizens' every topical question", - Mintimer Shaimiev emphasized.

In his opinion, under conditions of rapidly changing world every religion's purpose is to combine the expanding public conscience with conservatism, that is, with preservation of historically established rules and traditions.

"This is a real problem and regardless of their religious convictions, the clergymen have to find a common language both with reformists and with traditionalists", - Mintimer Shaimiev believes. The President of the Republic noted that it is not a simple problem and its solution requires having a great deal of patience, wisdom and also the ability to compromise because believers -the parishioners of churches, mosques, synagogues and temples - live in the real world.

In conclusion Mintimer Shaimiev noted that each spiritual leader in the Russian society - a patriarch, a mufti or a rabbi - has always had and will have the problem of relations with authority. "I think that in this issue the new Patriarch will proceed from the necessity of fruitful dialogue and cooperation with the government. I felicitate the Metropolitan Kirill on his election as the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and I wish him wellbeing and longevity", - Mintimer Shaimiev told.