Pedro Sánchez and Pope Francis underline the need for joint efforts to reduce international tension, promote dialogue and defend human rights

Vatican City

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has met with Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss matters of shared interest in the international context, including the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and migration. Subsequently, President Sánchez also held a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

The chief executive has praised the leadership of Pope Francis in relation to the Middle East conflict. Both agreed on the need to stop the war and avoid further escalation with unpredictable consequences. In this regard, the leaders again called for an immediate ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon and the release of all hostages, reiterating the need to achieve a just and lasting peace through negotiation and compromise between all parties. The two discussed how to work together to reduce international tension, promote dialogue and ensure that human dignity and human rights are upheld where they are violated.

In this respect, they agreed that the international community cannot remain impassive in the face of this tragedy, and must raise its voice in a firm manner to put an end to the spiral of violence. The president stated that for this to happen, the international community must stop exporting arms to the Israeli government. It is a call for "urgency", he stressed, pointing out that Israel is contravening international law because "it is invading a third country, in this case Lebanon".

Pedro Sánchez has also strongly condemned yesterday's attack on the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura, where Israeli troops shot at and wounded two Blue Helmets. The chief executive described these events as "condemnable and reprehensible".

President Sánchez also expressed his concern to Pope Francis about the increase in religious intolerance in the region stemming from the conflict, stressing the importance of religious tolerance as a means of understanding between peoples and as a message of peace.

@ Vatican Media

The president said that in this "difficult situation that world peace is going through", exemplified in the conflict in the Middle East, the pope also thanked Spain for the support it has given the Ukrainian people since the beginning of the Russian aggression, and for the position of coherence, respect for international law and respect for the multilateral order that our country has defended from day one, both in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

Another of the issues discussed was the question of migration. The pope is a strong advocate of social solidarity with a universalist vocation, which is reflected in his encyclical "Fratelli Tutti", and which also focuses on migration. The president argued that a responsible and supportive response to this issue is essential, and that this phenomenon be approached in a comprehensive manner, tackling the causes at source and opening channels for regular migration.

To this effect, he shared with the pope the main lines of the Government of Spain's migration policy, centred on extending circular migration agreements with third countries, facilitating integration, border control for safe and legal migration, and promoting measures for employment, training and attracting talent. Sánchez advocated "a humanist policy that is respectful of human rights", but is also "forceful with the mafias that traffic in people".

In this regard, the president extended two invitations to the pope to visit Spain, the first to the Canary Islands to learn about the solidarity of the Canarian people with migration, and the second to the IV International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Seville in June 2025.

Later, the President of the Government also held a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with whom he discussed matters of mutual interest in bilateral relations between Spain and the Holy See.

Non official translation