Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba, held a meeting of approximately 40 minutes with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican
Text: RFI / AFP
The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, met this Tuesday in the Vatican with Pope Francis, as part of a tour of several European countries that will also take him to France and Serbia, the Holy See reported.
The Cuban president, who arrived in Italy on Monday, also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, with whom he discussed “the importance of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Cuba” among other issues, the Vatican said in a statement. a statement.
For its part, the Cuban Presidency released several photos of the meetings on Twitter and specified that the meeting with Pope Francis lasted “just over 30 minutes” and “allowed us to verify the positive state of bilateral relations.”
In St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, a dozen opponents of the Cuban regime gathered on Tuesday, waving flags and a banner that read: “Respect for human rights in Cuba.”
A woman carried a Cuban flag with the motto “Patria y vida” and a man, a T-shirt that had the print: “Do not go to Cuba, Cuba is a dictatorship.”
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Daniel Pacho, undersecretary in charge of relations with States and International Organizations, also participated in the interview with Parolin, the Holy See indicated.
According to the Vatican statement, Díaz-Canel and Parolin also discussed “the situation” in Cuba and “the contribution offered by the Church, especially in the field of charity”, some “international issues of mutual interest” and mentioned the visit of John Paul II to the island, 25 years ago.
The Catholic Church has played an important role in mediations with the communist government of Cuba. In 2014, he intervened in the thaw of relations between Cuba and the United States.
The Cuban president’s tour, from June 20 to 24, also includes an official program in the Republic of Serbia, as well as “meetings with authorities from European countries and will carry out other activities of interest,” the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
According to the Granma newspaper, Díaz-Canel will also participate in “the Summit for a global financial pact, to be held in Paris, France.”
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