US Sec, Kerry, Cardinal Parolin speak about Middle East, Guantanamo inmates
December 15, 2014
John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, met on December 15 with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, his Vatican counterpart, for a discussion that centered on the Middle East.
During the conversation, the Vatican noticed in a brief statement, Secretary Kerry affirmed the US commitment to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Kerry also sought “the Holy See’s assistance in seeking adequate humanitarian solutions for current inmates.”
The bulk of the conversation, however, was devoted to the violence in the Middle East, the effort to avoid escalation of current conflicts, and the push for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
In an unusual note, the Vatican statement on the meeting said that the “short time available” prevented discussion of other important topics including the tensions in Ukraine and the reaction to the Ebola epidemic in Africa.
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