On 21 August 1997, in connection with the restructuring of the department, "instead of the pre-existing sectors responsible for certain narrow areas of the Department's activities", new divisions appeared: the secretariat for inter-Eastern-Orthodox relations and foreign institutions, the secretariat for inter-Christian relations, the secretariat for relations between the Church and society and the administrative and financial secretariat; sectors for foreign institutions, Eastern Orthodox pilgrimage, and later the communication service and publication sector.