Pope Francis received the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, at the Vatican. During the meeting, which lasted more than half an hour, various topics of interest were discussed. Metsola, who also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was received by the pontiff in the papal library at 9:08 local time.
The meeting concluded at 9:40 and after the private meeting, there was an exchange of gifts. The pope gave Metsola a terracotta sculpture called 'Tenderness and Love', the Message of Peace for the current year, and other papal writings. In turn, the President of the European Parliament gifted the pontiff a ceramic plate adorned with a musical score.
During her visit to Rome, Metsola also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. During the meeting at the Italian Government headquarters, they discussed various issues on the international agenda, such as the situation in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. According to sources from the Executive, both leaders addressed important current issues.
