BAKU, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin backed the idea of holding a summit of religious leaders in Moscow in July.

"We strongly support the policy aimed to strengthen inter-religious and interethnic dialogue," Putin said in Azerbaijan at a meeting with heads of the country's religious communities.

"This is why we hail the initiative of Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II to hold the International summit of religious leaders in Moscow on July 4-5," the president added.

The decision to hold the summit was made on December 27, 2005 at the session of the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod, chaired by Alexy II.