"There is no discrimination between Christians and Muslims"
Uh-huh...sure thing...
Posted on 07/23/2008 6:50:31 PM PDT by markomalley
Rome, 23 July (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI will meet Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki on Friday for the first time during his official visit to Italy.
Al-Maliki is due to arrive in Rome on Thursday to meet his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi on the second leg of his European visit after talks with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin on Tuesday.
The Iraqi prime minister will meet the Pope at the pontiff's summer residence at Castelgandolfo, outside Rome.
He will then hold separate talks with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state.
Iraq is home to the Chaldean Catholic Church, one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, and al-Maliki's visit comes at a time when Iraqi Christians are exposed to grave risks.
Hundreds and thousands of Christians have been forced to leave Iraq to flee the violence and the economic crisis caused by the war.
During his visit to Germany, al-Maliki addressed the plight of Iraqi Christians saying: There is no discrimination between Christians and Muslims."
"We will do our best so that Christians also return to Iraq," he added.
Benedict has spoken many times about the rights of Iraqi Christians and repeatedly called for peace and religious freedom.
Trade and security are expected to top the agenda when al-Maliki meets Berlusconi and other senior government officials.
The European Union is negotiating an energy agreement with Iraq, in an effort to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Iraq has the world's third largest proven reserves of oil and in June opened key producing fields to foreign investment.
After talks with Merkel in Berlin, al-Maliki said Iraq was able to look after its own security and was ready for major foreign investment.
"The Iraq of today is not the Iraq of six months ago. We are making great progress in the security situation," al-Maliki said.
"There is no discrimination between Christians and Muslims"
Uh-huh...sure thing...
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