Visiting Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani asked Pope Francis to pray for him on Tuesday.
In a 40-minute audience with the leader of the Catholic
Church, the Iranian chief gave the pope a hand-made carpet from
Iran's holy city of Qom, and an illuminated book.
Francis reciprocated with a medal of St. Martin symbolizing
brotherhood, and a copy of his ecological encyclical Laudato Si'
(Praised Be) in English and Arabic, there being no Farsi
edition.
The two leaders then talked about the recent accord on
Iran's nuclear programme and its role in helping solve conflicts
in the Middle East, the Vatican press office said.
"Thank you for your visit and I hope for peace", Francis
said.
Taking his leave, Rouhani asked the pope to pray for him.
He said the meeting "pleased me greatly", adding "I wish you
well in your work," according to some of those present.
Tuesday was Rouhani's first visit to a pontiff, on the
first trip to Europe by an Iranian president in 16 years.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rouhani addressed an Italy-Iran
Business Forum.
"We must engage in a win-win economic collaboration," he
told participants on what was his second day in the nation's
capital.
"Iran is currently the safest and most stable country in
the entire (Middle Eastern) region" and is now open to foreign
investors after years of sanctions, Rouhani said.
"Iranians know Italy and your work - they trust Italians,"
he said.
The leader added that Islam's Koran, or holy book, teaches
interfaith tolerance between Christians, Jews and Muslims.
"The church, the synagogue and the mosque sit side by
side," Rouhani said.
"We must first preserve the church, then the synagogue,
then the mosque - this is the culture of tolerance the Koran
teaches us".
Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni hailed renewed relations
with Iran - and the oil, raw material, transportation and other
business deals being signed between the two nations - as a sign
that the late Enrico Mattei's dream of dialogue and economic
collaboration "has become reality".
Mattei (1906-1962) organized Italy's Ente Nazionale
Idrocarburi (ENI) state-owned fuel company after World War II,
and negotiated oil deals with Iran and the Soviet Union during
the Cold War.
"When we began our activities in Iran, we were dreamers,"
Gentiloni said, quoting Mattei.
The Iranian chief arrived for his three-day visit Monday,
when he met Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Premier
Matteo Renzi. He will visit the Colosseum Wednesday morning
before flying on to Paris.
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