Egyptian President Mubarak meets Pope Benedict XVI.

(March 14, 2006) : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met Pope Benedict XVI at a private meeting in the Vatican on Monday 13 March. The 20-minute meeting, described as cordial by Vatican’s Press Office took place in the Pope’s private library. The main topics discussed were about Iran and Iraq and prospects for lasting peace in the Middle East. In a statement released to the Media after the meeting, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navaro Valls said , the Pope and Mubarak noted the good relations between the Vatican and Cairo and reviewed interreligious relations in Egypt. Navarro Valls said after the audience, there was an exchange of gifts. President Mubarak gave the Holy Father a silver case with Pope Benedict ‘s name engraved in Arabic, and the Pontiff gave the Egyptian president and his entourage ,rosaries and medals of his pontificate.