.- On Monday evening, Pope Benedict XVI met with Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, president of the Arab Republic of Egypt, with whom he discussed prospects for lasting peace in the violence-wracked Middle East.
Holy See Press Office director Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement that "The cordial discussions, which lasted for around half an hour, began with an acknowledgement of the good relations between the Holy See and the Arab Republic of Egypt, and of the situation of inter-religious affairs in that country.”
He added that "the meeting provided an opportunity to consider themes relative to the prospects for a stable peace in the Middle East,” citing a “profound exchange of ideas” which transpired “regarding the situation in Iraq.”
Likewise, he added that some attention was also given to “questions concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran."
