MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday condoled the death of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Monday.
"I had the opportunity to communicate with this outstanding person on many occasions, and I will forever preserve the brightest memory of him. Throughout his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church, as well as constructive interaction between Russia and the Holy See," Putin said in his condolence message to the Vatican posted on the Kremlin website.
The president noted that Pope Francis enjoyed great international authority as a faithful servant of the Christian teaching, a wise religious and statesman, and a consistent defender of the lofty values of humanism and justice.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Pope Francis knew each other personally.
Peskov said they met in person three times -- during the Russian president's brief visits to the Vatican in 2013, 2015 and 2019, and also spoke over the phone, most recently in December 2021.