Vatican Secretary of State advocates observance Minsk agreements

Cardinal Pietro Parolin called on the sides of the conflict in Ukraine to take concrete steps to ensure a long-term and fair settlement of the conflict, within the framework of the reached agreements. He said about this following the official visit to the Russian Federation in an exclusive interview with the Vatican Radio.

Answering the journalist's question about the difficult Ukrainian issue in the Holy See-Russia relations, Cardinal Parolin said that "at least for the time being there is no news, it's probably too early to think about it: now seeds are being sown and we hope that the Lord will help them rise. The issue of Ukraine is certainly a matter of deep concern to the Holy See, and during the meetings in Russia it was raised many times."

The Vatican Secretary of State called for concrete steps to ensure a long-term and fair settlement of the conflict, within the framework of already reached agreements. Many humanitarian aspects were also emphasized, starting with the charitable action of Pope Francis to help the victims of the conflict in Ukraine and ending with the release of prisoners. During the meetings, the Cardinal insisted on the urgent need for a political dialogue, a ceasefire and truce maintenance.

As reported earlier by Radio Vatican with reference to the Holy See Press Office, the meeting of Cardinal Pietro Parolin and President Vladimir Putin was held "in a positive, friendly, and respectful atmosphere with an open exchange of views on various themes including international and bilateral relations."

Earlier, the UGCC spread fake information about the statements of Cardinal Parolin during his visit to Russia.