President Abbas Thanks Pope Leo XIV For Support For Reaching Peace

JAKARTA - President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Pope Leo XIV for his support in achieving fair peace in Palestine and his repeated calls to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people.

President Abbas emphasized that Pope Leo XIV's statement was a continuation of the position and policy of the Vatican which supported the creation of a just peace in accordance with international law and legitimacy.

President Abbas stressed the deep historical ties between the Palestinian State and the Holy See, as well as ongoing efforts to strengthen this relationship since the Vatican's recognition of the Palestinian State and the canonization of two Palestinian holy people in 2014, as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides in 2017.

On the occasion President Abbas also reaffirmed his commitment to working with the Vatican to strengthen the presence of Christians in Palestine, which he described as an authentic and reinvested presence among the Palestinian people for thousands of years.

Not to forget, President Abbas also conveyed the development of the current situation in the Gaza Strip and Israel's escalation in the West Bank during a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. President Abbas stressed the importance of maintaining historical status and law on Islamic and Christian holy places in Jerusalem, the need to guarantee freedom of worship and access to these places, as well as the need to protect the Holy City from unilateral policies that damage its identity and cultural character.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Holy See Press Office described the meeting as "a familiar", adding that among the topics discussed there was also an urgent need to "end the conflict by seeking a two-state solution", quoted by Vatican News.

The day before, President Abbas made a pilgrimage to Pope Francis' grave in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, shortly after landing in Rome on a three-day visit to Italy.

President Abbas' visit to the Vatican also marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of a 'comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the Palestinian State'.

The manuscript, which was signed on June 26, 2015, stated the commitment of both parties to determining the fate of Palestine and the solution of the two countries.

The agreement also emphasizes the symbolic and spiritual significance of Jerusalem for Jews, Christians and Muslims.