(ANSA) - Vatican City, April 27 - The Vatican on Monday accepted Turkish Deputy Economy Minister Adnan Yildirim's invitation to visit his country's pavilion at Milan Expo 2015.
"Turkish representatives are likewise invited to the Vatican pavilion, which is dedicated to issues the Muslim world may also share," Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi told ANSA. "Issues such as hunger, both physical and spiritual, brotherly charity, fasting, and listening to the divine word, because man does not live on bread alone (which is the Vatican pavilion's motto)".
The pope's recent comments in which he described the mass killing of Armenians under Ottaman rule during World War I as genocide infuriated Turkey, with Ankara recalling its ambassador to the Holy See for consultations. "We would be pleased to welcome the Holy Father if he wanted to visit Turkey's Expo pavilion," Yildirim said at the sidelines of the presentation of Turkey's pavilion. "If he were not able to, then we would be pleased to host a Vatican delegation to enable them to appreciate the values of Turkey's historic civilization".