Pope Francis receives Prime Minister of Lithuania

Vatican City, 19 September 2013: Pope Francis received in audience on Thursday morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister of Lithuania, a Vatican communique revealed. Later, he met with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial talks, they highlighted the good relations that exist between the Republic of Lithuania and the Holy See, and focused in particular on the contribution offered throughout the centuries by the Catholic Church in educational and social fields, as well as her commitment to the support of families and to improving awareness of spiritual values.
In view of the fact that the Republic of Lithuania currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the discussions turned to various international and European
matters of mutual interest. Special mention was made of the need to ensure peace in the Middle East and in particular in Syria, favouring a political solution to the crisis through dialogue and negotiation.Source: VR Sedoc