On July 6, 2006, the Representative of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR MP), Metropolitan KYRILL of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, met with the Chinese delegation which took part in the World Summit of Religious Leaders in Moscow.
In the course of the ensuing conversation conducted in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations and his counterpart the chairman of the Chinese Association for Religious and Cultural Exchange, who is also the head of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs under the government of the People's Republic of China Ye Xiaowen, discussed about the development of relations between the Inter-religious Council of Russia and the traditional religious organizations of the People's Republic of China including contacts for scientific exchange.
An exchange of opinions happened too concerning issues that pertain to the status of Orthodoxy in China. The guests also shared their impressions from the just completed World Summit of Religious Leaders, expressing deep satisfaction with its results.
An agreement was reached for continuation of the mutually useful contacts which could enhance the friendly relations between Russia and China.
In the meeting, participants also included the scholar Chen Guanyuan, head of the Chinese Islamic association, the bishop Ma Yinlin of Kunming (The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Organization), personnel from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Russia and from the State Bureau of Religious Affairs of PRC as well as the secretary responsible for inter-Orthodox relations of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, protopresbyter Nikolai Balashov accompanied by employees of DECR MP.