Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis discuss Ukraine

MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis on Wednesday discussed the current situation in Ukraine.

"The sides discussed in detail the situation on Ukrainian soil. Special attention was paid to the humanitarian aspects of the current crisis and the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church to overcome its consequences," the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement following the contact held via telecommunications.

"The sides emphasized the exceptional importance of the ongoing negotiating process, expressing hope that a just peace will be achieved soon," the Russian Orthodox Church said.

The pontiff and the patriarch also discussed several current issues on the bilateral interaction agenda, it said.