MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) - The Federation Council believes that the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) will have a positive impact on Christianity as a whole and be important for other religions.

"The reunification will have a most favorable impact and will serve as an example for Catholics and Protestants because it demonstrates the unification of the Orthodox part of Christianity," Yury Sharandin, head of the Committee for Constitutional Law, told Interfax.

The reunification will also serve as an example for other religions such as Islam and Judaism. "For them it will be an example of spiritual reunification and a resolute step toward common spiritual values," he said.

"The heart of every Orthodox Christian rejoices at this reunification" because an artificial schism caused by historical events in Russia and the Soviet Union is being gapped, he said.

"The reunification of the church means that the spiritual unity of all Orthodox Christians will become even closer. People will recall the commandments more often and live according to them. This unification should gladden all Christians, not just Orthodox Christians," he said.

Alexander Ter-Avanesov, deputy head of the Committee for Regional Policy, told Interfax that the reunification will draw a line under 80 years of schism.

"This is an event of historic and international significance. We are actually speaking of complete reconciliation of not only two parts of a church but of the nation that was divided by the 1917 revolution," he said.