Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Staffan de Mistura met today at the foreign ministry in Rome with Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs Paul Bhatti, a Catholic, the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor and brother of Shahbaz Bhatti (Minister for Minority Affairs killed last March). Their discussions centred on the status of minority protections and inter-faith dialogue in Pakistan.Bhatti showed particular interest in cooperation programmes in the fields of education, the fight against poverty and co-existence among the members of various faiths.
Under-Secretary De Mistura underscored the crucial importance that Italy attributes to the promotion of respect for human rights and religious freedom around the world, as witnessed by Minister Terzi’s speech at the Council of Human Rights in Geneva and the signing of a protocol of understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Roma Capital (10 January) which envisages the creation of an “observatory on religious freedom”.
Bhatti and de Mistura agreed on the advisability of intensifying the common commitment of Italy and Pakistan on the themes discussed.
