“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 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 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.