Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met today at the Foreign Ministry with the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church of Baghdad, His Beatitude Paul III Nona, who has taken the helm of a community numbering over 600,000 faithful worldwide, 300,000 of whom are in Iraq.
The meeting provided an opportunity to address a number of challenges facing the future of the Middle East, including efforts to encourage the return of Christians to Iraq. Minister Tajani reaffirmed the Italian Government’s support for the protection of Christian minorities in the region and for the development of specific projects aimed at young Iraqis, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare. These include the planned creation of three community centres dedicated to young people and families. The three centres will be established in Baghdad, Erbil and Mosul, and will be set up with funding from Italian Development Cooperation. The centres will also organise Italian language courses and vocational training programmes, designed to provide the young generation with real opportunities for a better life and a more stable future.
The Minister and the Patriarch agreed to remain in contact regarding the development of any further Italian projects in the country.
