Patriarch Kirill Arrives in Kyiv

At 4 p.m. in the Bporyspil airport in Kyiv Patriarch Kirill was officially met. The patriarch arrived in Kyiv after visiting Dnipropetrovsk, reports RISU correspondent Oleksandr Boiko.

Patriarch Kirill told representatives of the Ukrainian press in brief about his impressions from visiting Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk and said that he can see that they are developing.

He also said that he felt a strong Orthodox faith in the people of Ukraine and that "the people of Ukraine are optimistic and therefore a good future awaits these people."

Patriarch Kirill also told about his meeting with President Yanukovych and said that the protocol did not stipulate that meeting. In answer to a question if political questions were discussed, the patriarch responded that the visit is pastoral and therefore there was no discussion of political questions.