ASTANA.  March 12. KAZINFORM  /Muratbek Makulbekov/ Today Chairman of the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of World and Traditional Religions' Leaders Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev has received Metropolitan Mefody due completion of his mission in Kazakhstan.

Mr. Tokayev expressed gratitude to former head of the Metropolitan District in our country for his huge contribution to ensuring national unity and inter-faith harmony in Kazakhstani society. The Senate Speaker also noted Metropolitan Mefody's active participation in work of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. According to K. Tokayev, the activity of the Russian Orthodox Church fits well in the common efforts of the Kazakh leadership on ensuring internal stability in order to bring the country on the path of modernization and progress. The Speaker also noted importance of the recent visit of Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill to Kazakhstan and his negotiations with Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Metropolitan Mefody thanked K. Tokayev for joint work on organization of top-level meetings for discussing the issues of inter-religious dialogue.

"I am proud that I had an opportunity to work in Kazakhstan as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church. I sincerely love Kazakhstan and its nation", the Metropolitan said.

On March 5, 2010 by a decision of the Holy Synod Metropolitan Mefody was appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Perm and Solikamsk.