"The death of Patriarch Alexy II is an extremely sad and tragic occurrence. Alexy II was a beloved and revered Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
He was a lucid personality. This is a great loss. Not only was he the greatest person in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, but he was also an outstanding statesman. He made a substantial contribution to cooperation between various religious confessions. It won't be an exaggeration to say that he maintained good and friendly relations with the representatives of all traditional Russian confessions. He accomplished a lot for the sake of asserting a new Russian statehood."