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Minister Tajani participates in bilateral consultations between Italy and the Holy See together with the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher

Today, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, chaired at the Farnesina the periodic bilateral consultations between Italy and the Holy See, together with the Secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher.

“The consultations with the Holy See are a very important moment of discussion, even more so in the current international context,” said the Minister.

Tajani and Gallagher discussed the most important current affairs. “We share the Holy See’s sense of urgency in calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza,” stressed the Minister, recalling his recent mission to Israel and Palestine. “Italy is at the forefront in providing maximum assistance to the populations in that region. I presented to Msgr. Gallagher the results of the humanitarian conference whereby I opened the G7 Development Conference in Pescara, which made it possible to bring Israel, Lebanon and Palestine together in a single meeting.” Tajani then recalled the delivery to the World Food Programme (WFP) of the first of the 15 trucks donated by Italy as part of the Food for Gaza initiative, which took place in Genoa last Friday, and the entry of over 47 tonnes’ worth of aid into the Strip. The Minister then highlighted Italy’s strong focus on the protection of religious minorities in the world, especially in crisis scenarios such as Lebanon and Syria.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, the Minister confirmed Italy’s support for the Holy See’s commitment to the process of repatriating abducted minors and exchanging prisoners in Ukraine. “We must continue to support Kyiv in order to achieve a just and lasting peace, with the involvement of all global actors,” said Tajani.

In the talks, the Deputy Prime Minister then confirmed the Italian government’s focus on Africa. “Africa is at the heart of our G7 Presidency. During the meeting in Pescara, we discussed the priorities for addressing the needs of the African continent, identifying important synergies with the Mattei Plan,” the Minister pointed out. In this context, Tajani recalled the meeting promoted at the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting on the role of missionaries in Africa, as aimed at promoting a systemic approach capable of developing equal and mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries, together with civil society.

In view of the upcoming Jubilee, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Italy “is very pleased with the agreement for the management of pilgrim visits. This result will simplify the entry application procedures for those who wish to come to Italy, thus guaranteeing a high level of security.”

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