pope-Russian patriarch meeting 'unique'

(ANSA) - Moscow, February 15 - Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Monday described last week's meeting between Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Havana as "unique". Spokesman Dmitri Peskov said "it was a unique meeting, both in terms of content and of its symbolic importance". He also stressed the significance for "the defence of the rights of Christians all over the world, especially in those places where it is not just necessary to defend the interests, but also the lives of Christians".