On May 16, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, arrived in Beirut with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. 

His Eminence is accompanied by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the DECR, and Priest Nikolai Vasin, Secretary to the DECR Chairman. 

Russians Russian Orthodox Church delegation was met by Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Rector of the Russian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, and Alexander Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Lebanese Republic..
 
Upon arrival in Lebanon, the DECR Chairman met with Patriarch Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church. 

During the conversation held at Beirut's Rafik Hariri Airport, the parties discussed the prospects for cooperation between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Cilician Catholicosate, noting the importance of developing dialogue between the Orthodox and Oriental churches. Metropolitan Anthony expressed gratitude to the Cilician Catholicosate for the continued support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Aram asked to convey his brotherly good wishes to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, with whom he has been closely acquainted for many decades.