Havana, Cuba: Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill called during a historic meeting on Friday for restored Christian unity and urgent action to help Christians threatened by violence in the Middle East.

‘Conscious of the numerous obstacles that remain to be overcome, we hope our meeting contributes to the re-establishment of this unity wished for by God,’ they said in a joint declaration.

They signed the declaration after holding talks in Cuba, the first such meeting between the leaders of the Eastern and Western churches in nearly a thousand years.

‘We call on the international community to take urgent action to prevent Christians from continuing to be driven out of the Middle East,’ they said.

‘In Syria and Iraq, violence has already cost thousands of lives, leaving millions of people homeless and without resources.’

The 79-year-old Francis, in white robes and a skullcap, and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, earlier kissed and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport.

The Argentine pontiff was looking to heal a nearly 1,000-year-old rift in Christianity that dates back to a 1054 schism that helped shape modern Europe and the Middle East.

Francis is now due to embark on a tour of Mexico, while Kirill continues a visit to Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay.