Pope receives Georgian president

(May 7, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI received Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili in the Vatican on Friday and the two exchanged views on the Church’s humanitarian operations and peaceful coexistence among people in the former Soviet republic. Saakashvili later met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Vatican Secretary for Relation with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. A Vatican statement said the two sides discussed various bilateral issues and life in Georgia, with both sides renewing their commitments in favour of intercultural exchange. Both the Holy See and Georgia acknowledged the positive humanitarian contribution by the Church’s charity agency Caritas for the entire population. They also encouraged peaceful coexistence among believers of various religions for the common good. The two sides urged that difficulties in the region be resolved through dialogue and negotiation among parties.