The Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Barolin, visited the second presidential residence in Ain el-Tineh at eleven o'clock in the morning, where he met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri. After the meeting, Barolin stated, "I believe that the solution to the presidential crisis begins from this place. The Christian parties bear the responsibility, of course, but they are not alone in power, and others must also shoulder their responsibilities." He added, "There are numerous internal obstacles preventing the election of a president."
Barolin and the accompanying delegation then moved to the Grand Serail, where they held a bilateral meeting with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. In a joint press conference following the meeting, Mikati said, "Your Eminence, Cardinal Pietro Barolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican. I am pleased to welcome you on your visit to Lebanon, which is warmly welcomed and appreciated by all Lebanese. This is your second visit after the horrific explosion at the Port of Beirut in August 2020. I was pleased to hear from Your Eminence about Pope Francis's daily follow-up on Lebanon's affairs and his love for our country and its people, as well as his appreciation for its distinctive message in the East as a meeting place for religions and cultures and for the convergence of different spiritual families. We also thank you for your continuous and diligent attention to various Lebanese concerns, which I personally felt during our meeting at the Vatican last March. We value the statements you made yesterday in Bkerke wishing to reach solutions for Lebanon and its suffering people, and that Lebanon remains a model of coexistence."
Mikati continued, "There are priorities that unite us with the Holy See aimed at protecting Lebanon and its people and establishing security and economic recovery. These priorities include:
- Electing a president for the republic as soon as possible, as the continuation of the vacuum has repercussions on all levels.
- Rebuilding the state and its institutions and adhering to the constitution for the common Lebanese interest, and enhancing coexistence.
- Working on stabilizing internal security and finding solutions to the economic and social crises that have escalated over the years.
- Seeking by all available means to avoid turning Lebanon into a battleground for armed conflicts originating from the south, and implementing relevant international resolutions to put an end to Israel's expansionist ambitions, thus not linking Lebanon's stability and interests to highly complex conflicts and endless wars.
- Ensuring the best relations with friendly countries that support Lebanon in these difficult circumstances, foremost among them is the Vatican, which has provided and continues to provide support, assistance, and care from His Holiness and senior officials."
He stated, "On this occasion, we are pleased to renew, through you, our invitation to His Holiness the Pope to visit Lebanon, as all Lebanese are looking forward to this visit and view it, after the election of a new president, as a new hope for them and one of the main factors for relief. We are encouraged by what you mentioned during our meeting about the importance of maintaining national unity among the Lebanese and the necessity of providing all the components for its success, as it is the salvation of the Lebanese and their ability to maintain their country unified."
