MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church, and Vyacheslav Nikonov, executive director of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, signed a cooperation agreement on Tuesday.

The two will implement a joint publishing program and assist schools attached to foreign-based parishes, the foundation's press service said.

Russkiy Mir (Russian World) was created by presidential decree in 2007 to promote the Russian language and culture, and supports Russian language study programs and cultural events in various countries.

The agreement formalizing the fund's long-term relations with the Church was signed at the opening of the organization's Third Assembly on Tuesday, the eve of Unity Day, which Russia celebrates every November 4.

Patriarch Kirill highlighted the Russian Orthodox Church's role in the uniting of Russians around the world, adding that Russian language centers, libraries, specialized websites and scientific centers should be established in more countries.

"The Russkiy Mir foundation was founded to resolve many of the above tasks, so the patriarch was pointing to the importance of interaction between the fund and the Russian Orthodox Church on a permanent basis," Russkiy Mir said.

Nikonov thanked Kirill for his unification efforts.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent a greeting message to the assembly participants.

"Your gatherings, which Russkiy Mir traditionally holds in close interaction with representatives of state power bodies, business circles, scientists and professors, have consistently attracted the attention of the wider public in many countries," the government press service quoted him as saying in the message.

So far in 2009, Russkiy Mir says it has supported 450 projects around the world.