Putin Receives Birthday Greetings, Discusses Cooperation With Foreign Leaders

MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has held phone talks with several foreign leaders, who passed on birthday greetings to the Russian leader on his 62nd birthday, the press service of the Kremlin reported Tuesday.

"The president has held a number of telephone talks, in particular, with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and former president of the Italian Council of Ministers Silvio Berlusconi," the press service stated.

The talks touched upon "hot topics on the international agenda and issues of bilateral relations," according to the statement.

Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti also sent birthday wishes to Putin, noting that Moldova attaches "great importance to the development and expansion of friendly relations and cooperation with Russia," and expressed hope to strengthen the bilateral dialogue, bringing it to a "qualitatively new level."

Spiritual leaders of Russia also sent birthday wishes. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill wished Putin to the strength to endure the "pressure on Russia." The head of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed hope that "constructive church-state cooperation will continue to contribute to the country's well-being, patriotic, spiritual and moral education of youth, peace and civil concord."

The Head of the Russian Central Muslim Spiritual Directorate Talgat Tadzhuddin and the Grand Mufti of Russia Rawil Gaynetdin noted in their birthday greetings that Putin's policies had restored the country's "due international prestige and recognition of the international community."

Among the country's regions, the Chechen republic presented the most unique gift to Vladimir Putin. Almost 100.000 people took part in a demonstration in Grozny, they carried Russian and Chechen banners and chanted "Russia!" and "Chechnya!"

On Tuesday, October 7, Russia's president celebrates his 62nd birthday. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the president took the day off and flew "over to Siberia, to the Siberian taiga, 300 to 400 kilometers away from the nearest town or village, where he will relax on his birthday."