Minister Ian Borg in a meeting with Pope Francis

“My visit to Malta reminds me of the kindness of the Maltese”. These were the words of Pope Francis during an audience he gave to Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg during a visit to the Vatican.

During the audience with Pope Francis, Minister Borg said 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 Malta’s preparation for the United Nations Security Council aiming to go on being an agent of peace and stability in 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 Malta were discussed, the government said.

“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.”