This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience at the Vatican Apostolic Palace H.E. Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, who then met His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by the Most Reverend Daniel Pacho, Undersecretary for the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States and International Organisations.

The Pope expressed his closeness and solidarity with the Cypriot people, who continue to suffer the consequences of the division of the island, He said that “the division of Cyprus is an open wound in the heart of the region”. He added that “a solution to this conflict is urgent and necessary, not only for the Cypriot people, but also for the entire region”.

Pope Francis called on the parties involved in the conflict to “resume dialogue with a readiness to compromise and a willingness to seek a just and lasting solution.” He said that “the Catholic Church is ready to help in every possible way”.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, the positive bilateral relations were appreciated and some open issues in Church-State relations were mentioned. Some of the country’s current challenges, including that of migrants, were then discussed.

The talks continued with an exchange of views on the international situation, with a focus on ongoing conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.