The Pope and the president of Iraq, Barham Salí, whom he has received in a private meeting at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, have addressed the different conflicts and the “serious” humanitarian crises in that region.
“During the cordial conversations both encouraged the path of dialogue and the search for adequate solutions in favor of citizens and in the respect of national sovereignty,” according to the press office of the Holy See.
This has revealed that both leaders talked about the challenges currently facing Iraq and “the importance of promoting stability and the reconstruction process.”
In the statement, the Vatican has emphasized that they also discussed other issues without referring to the tensions that the region is currently experiencing, especially after the escalation of tension between Iran and the United States, after the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
As reported by the Vatican, “the different conflicts and serious humanitarian crises that afflict the region were analyzed, underlining the importance of efforts made with the support of the international community to restore confidence and peaceful coexistence.”
They also referred to the situation of religious minorities such as Christians who are persecuted in the region. In this sense, the statement highlighted “the importance of preserving the historical presence of Christians in the country, of which they are an integral part, and their significant contribution to the reconstruction of the social fabric.”
And they have stressed the need to guarantee “security and a place” in the future of Iraq.
For his part, the Iraqi president said in his Twitter account that it was a “honor” meeting with the Pope while ensuring that both studied “deeply” the situation in Iraq and the “serious tensions” in the region.
At the end of his meeting with the Pope, Salí met with the Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary for Relations with the States, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher.
