President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was received in audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican City. During the cordial discussions, President Coleiro Preca and Pope Francis evoked the constructive relations that unite Malta and the Holy See, and the collaboration between church and state in favour of the human, social, cultural and spiritual progress of the population, in particular the young, in light of the centuries-long contribution that Catholicism has offered the country.
Attention then turned to themes of common interest, with particular reference to issues relating to the situation in the Mediterranean region, such as the phenomenon of migration, as well as cooperation in development and interfaith dialogue. President Coleiro Preca presented Pope Francis with a copy of the first-ever National Interfaith Declaration which was signed by the leaders of the faith communities in Malta, on the occasion of the United Nations Interfaith Harmony Week.
President Coleiro Preca was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela and Frank Zammit, Ambassador of Malta to the Holy See.
Following the audience with Pope Francis, the President met Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by the Rev. Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations with States.
Photos: EPA-EFE/VATICAN MEDIA via Corporate Dispatch