Benedict XVI receives Croatian president

(October 11, 2010) Pope Benedict on Saturday received Croatian president, Ivo Josipovic, in a private audience in the Vatican. A Vatican communiqué soon after the meeting noted that the "cordial discussions" included "a fruitful exchange of opinions on questions concerning the current situation in the region, with particular reference to the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina." The two leaders also discussed "certain aspects of the situation in Croatia itself, the Church's contribution to cultural and spiritual development, the country's path to full integration into the European Union, and the importance of it maintaining its specific Christian identity." Josipovic later met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Vatican Secretary for Relations With States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.