“My visit to Malta
reminds me of the kindness of the Maltese”. These were the words of Pope Francis during an
audience he had with Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade
Ian Borg during a visit to the Vatican.
During the audience with Pope Francis, Minister Ian
Borg claimed that Malta is always honoured by the visit of his holiness to our country. They also discussed the
ongoing bilateral work between the two states and about Malta’s preparation for
the United Nations Security Council aiming to continue being an agent of peace
and stability around the world.
During this visit to the Vatican state, Minister Borg
had the opportunity to also meet with the Secretary of State of the Vatican
Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. The long
relationship between the two states and the importance that catholicism still has in our country were discussed.
The work that needs to be done between the two states’ foreign affairs offices in order to set up a joint commission
to discuss the management of the sede owned lands in Malta was also discussed.
Immigration in the Mediterranean, the situation in Libya and the conflict
between Ukraine and Russia were also on the agenda.
