The Archbishop of Canterbury today met for the first time with His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, amid what Lambeth Palace acknowledged were "tensions" between Russia and the UK.

Justin Welby welcomed Patriarch Kirill for a private meeting at Lambeth Palace along with the two men's respective delegations.

Earlier, Welby and the Bishop of London were present as the Queen hosted the Patriarch at Buckingham Palace.

In a statement, Lambeth Palace acknowledged that "[the] relationship between the two churches has endured for more than three centuries, through some very difficult times as well periods when the two countries have stood side by side."

In what Lambeth described as a "personal conversation" the two men discussed the persecution of Christians around the world, especially in the Middle East.

The statement said that "[it] was acknowledged that tensions currently exist between the Governments of their two countries" but that "Archbishop Justin and Patriarch Kirill agreed that the first loyalty of the Christian Church is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they affirmed that reconciliation was the key ministry of the Church in situations of conflict."

Tensions between the west and Russia has been growing in recent months over the war in Syria. Domestically, the highly conservative Patriarch recently signed a petition aimed at President Putin and calling for a total ban on abortion.

"Conversation also touched upon the concerns and challenges that their two churches face in the present time in their different contexts; including the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in a secular culture; the witness of the Church in serving the poor and marginalised in our societies and addressing the needs of migrants and refugees," the statement said. "They also spoke of the importance of the Church as the keeper of tradition – that is, the wisdom of the past, living in the present."

Kirill is in the UK at the invitation of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh in Great Britain, which is celebrating 300 years of the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in this country.

Though the visit represents the first time that Archbishop Welby and Patriarch Kirill have met, it marks the second time a Patriarch of Moscow and an Archbishop of Canterbury have met at Lambeth Palace in recent times. The first meeting was in 1964 between Archbishop Michael Ramsey with His Holiness Alexey I.

The two delegations met together over lunch for informal conversation, and the Patriarch and the Archbishop exchanged gifts.

On Sunday, Patriarch Kirill reconsecrated the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition in Ennismore Gardens, in a service attended by Archbishop Welby and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.