Lavrov: Russia to step up efforts in focusing attention on Christians’ concerns in Mideast

Russia would step up efforts in focusing attention on concerns of Christians in the Middle East, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday at a meeting with Syrian Orthodox Church’s Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.

"Russia was among the initiators to hold a special event on the sidelines of the human rights council in Geneva this March which was devoted to the Christians’ distress and beginning of their exodus from the region," Lavrov said. "We will stand up for this direction and this position and will promote it in the international organizations."

"The Middle East is a cradle of Christianity," he went on to say. "Christians have been living there for 2,000 years. It should be done so that the civilizational tissue of that region would be preserved and would not be breached."
  [tass.ru]
  11/11/15
--
-
Related:

• Syria’s Christians are grateful to the Russians for their support in the fight against terrorism and in political settlement of the crisis, the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II said on Wednesday at a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov... 

--

• ISIL/ISIS Releases 37 Assyrian Christians 

• ISIS has released 37 elderly Assyrian Christians who were among about 200 seized by the militants in February in northeastern Syria, two human rights monitoring groups said Saturday...

• Russia seriously concerned over Christians’ exodus from Middle East (Sergey Lavrov)

• ISIL/ISIS frees 22 Assyrian Christians held since February

--

• Mideast's religious minorities at risk of 'disappearing'

• US Leadership Needed to Stop ISIL Killing Christians (US Religious Group)

• Russia's Lavrov says crimes against Mideast Christians 'genocide'

• No room for Christians in Iraq anymore, fleeing residents say

• Dramatic report: Inside the battle for Syria's ancient Christian village (VIDEO RT).