Vatican Secretary of
State Pietro Parolin said Wednesday the Vatican was "hopeful" of
"in some way helping to resolve" the nuclear weapons crisis
between North Korea and the United States.
However, he reiterated that the Holy See is "not mediating"
in the dispute, but it welcomed media reports of possible
detente.
"If one could really intervene in the sense of being able to
help overcome the current tension and find negotiated and
diplomatic solutions, it would be our greatest desire," said the
cardinal.
As for relations between North Korea and the Vatican,
Parolini said "there have been (relations) in the past", albeit
not diplomatic, and "on a humanitarian level these contacts
could be reactivated".
He added that "disarmament and nuclear disarmament are issues
on which the Holy See has always been engaged, also on the
occasion of the recent approval of the Convention".
The Vatican is set to host a high-level conference on
disarmament.
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