Patriarch Kirill will reward Mahmoud Abbas for strengthening the unity of the Orthodox peoples

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill today in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior will give the head of the Palestinian National Administration Mahmoud the Abbas Prize "For outstanding activities to strengthen the unity of the Orthodox peoples," ITAR-TASS reports.

This award, which is already awarded for the eleventh time, is now named after Patriarch Alexy II, who initiated its creation.

This year, the Board of Technical Council of the Foundation Laureates of the awards are also named by Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa, Theodore Second, as well as a representative of the Serbian people, the outstanding tennis player Novak Djokovic.

The prizes of the Fund are annually awarded to the heads of state, governments and parliaments, patriarchs of Orthodox churches, the largest public figures for their contribution to the strengthening of the economic and political relations of states, historically formed in the context of the Eastern Christian tradition, the Fund said.

Last year, the head of the Russian state, the Catholicos of all Armenians Garevin, received the prize, film director Emir Kusturitsa and the Holy-Vladimir Seminary of the Russian Foreign Church.

The monetary maintenance of the prize, diplomas and commemorative signs of laureates are awarded in a festive atmosphere by the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fund Patriarch Moscow and the president of the Fund Professor Valery Alekseev. By tradition, the winners donate a bonus or part of it for charity needs.

Recall that the day before, the head of PNU met with the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and informed him that one of the main streets of Jericho was now named after the head of the Russian state.