From one post-communist state to another

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (formerly Konigsberg in East Prussia) is coming to Italy to visit. It has been announced that during his visit, he will meet with His Holiness the Pope. Kirill will also consecrate the first Russian Orthodox church to be built in Rome. The metropolitan is the head of foreign church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Pravda (good God, I'm linking to PRAVDA!) | Interfax Religion

We shall see what comes of this: bold statements or recriminations.

In other news, the synod of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia are meeting in San Francisco.

It is expected to adopt an Act on Canonical Community with the Patriarchate of Moscow. The 4th All-Diaspora Council adopted earlier two resolutions, one of the devoted to the reunification of the two parts of the Russian Church.
[...]

At the same time, decisions falling outside the competency of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will be made in concord with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Local and Bishops' Councils of Moscow Patriarchate will be the highest instance of ecclesiastical authority and the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will be their members.

The reunification comes after 80 yesrs of separation when the Whites fled Mother Russia at the communist take-over. The ROCOR developed as the Russian Orthodox Church came under the thumb of the Soviets.
Interfax Religion

(In case you aren't aware, Pravda, which is 'truth' in Russian, was once the primary newspaper of the Soviet Union and one of its principal propaganda organs.)