President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, met with Pope Francis

President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, met with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Friday. The head of state was accompanied by his wife, Andri Anastasiades, and Cypriot officials.

Nicos Anastasiades and Pope Francis had a private meeting, followed by an audience during which the pontiff received the Cypriot delegation.

During the meeting, Pope Francis presented the president with a medal featuring the Basilica of St. Peter, and the Cypriot leader gave him a silver replica of an olive tree symbolizing peace.

"This was a visit of special importance and symbolism, the first for the president, especially considering the upcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and the Holy See," said the official government spokesperson, Kyriakos Koushos.

In their discussions, the president and the pontiff addressed regional events, including Cyprus' initiative to create a maritime corridor for humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza, concerns about potential escalation in the region, and Cyprus' efforts as a regional state to normalize the situation.

Migration issues were also discussed since Cyprus and Italy, as frontline EU states, face significant migrant flows, coordinating their common goals with the Vatican leadership.

The Cyprus problem was touched upon during the meeting, and discussions covered Cyprus' efforts to resume negotiations and preserve the religious and cultural heritage in the northern part of the island.

Following the meetings in the Vatican, Anastasiades met in Rome with a delegation of leaders from the Italian energy giant ENI.

Recall that during his visit to Rome, Nicos Anastasiades was received for the first time by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and held a working meeting with the country's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.