Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged to make the protection of persecuted Christians one of his foreign policy priorities if he wins the 2012 presidential election.

At a meeting on Wednesday between heads of government and representatives of different confessions, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church told him that Christian minorities are facing repression in certain countries, such as Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India. He urged Putin to make this one of his foreign policy directions in future.

“This is how it will be, have no doubt,” replied the Prime Minister before stressing the importance of solving this problem worldwide.

The largest community of Orthodox Christians in the East is located in Syria.

Source: RIA Novosti