The Vatican said afterwards that the two had pledged to improve their bilateral relations - although the Pope’s latest comments are unlikely to ease tensions.
Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni paid tribute to the Pope on the first anniversary of his election. She applauded his “tireless message of faith, hope, peace, dialogue among peoples, and closeness to the weakest”.
“In a complex time marked by great uncertainty, his voice represents a global point of reference, not only for Christians.”
Earlier in the day, she met Rubio in Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister’s office, in the historic heart of Rome.
She said they had a “frank dialogue” about Ukraine, Lebanon, instability in Libya and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Telegraph
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