2013 (EN)

The president of Palestine, Abu Mazen, during a meeting with Francis Pope in Vatican, expressed his desire to sign a peace agreement with Israel. During the consultation the Palestinian leader invited the Pope to visit Holy Land, and a similar invitation was made before also by Israeli president Shimon Peres. Abu Mazen choose Rome as first step of an European travel which will lead him to Germany and Bruxelles, in order to made aware Europe about Palestinian issue. The topic of peace negotiations with Israel was one of the central points of the meeting with Francis Pope, who hopes in a agreement as soon as possible. He did it in his own way, when he donated to Palestinian Authority a fountain pen, which reproduces the column of the canopy of San Peter’s Altar, artwork of Gianlorenzo Bernini: For sure you have to sign so many papers…”, he joked. And Abu Mazen understood his allusion: “ I hope to sign with this pen the peace agreement with Israel”. “Soon, soon!”, pushed the Argentinian Pope. In a following statement, Vatican let known that Pope asks to Israeli government and to the Palestinian one: “to take with determination and under the support of international community brave decisions in favour of peace”. Francis Pope expressed his “faith that the peace process helds to the aimed fruits in order to find a right and long lasting solution to a conflict which ends reveals to be every day, more needed and urgent”. After the new invitation the visit of Francis Pope in Holy Land seems to be closer. Holy See didn’t officially announced the visit but it can be supposed it will take place between march and april of 2014. In the afternoon, president of Anp at Quirinale met Giorgio Napolitano to whom consigned “Palestinian Star”, the most important award of the Territories. The peace process had a significant moment few months ago, when President Abu Mazen visited Fondazione Mediterraneo, which recognized his role in the pacification process.