NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES WELCOMED BY JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN CITY, NOV 13, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Room of the Popes, John Paul II welcomed a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates at the conclusion of their Second International Forum in Rome, greeting in particular Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies.

The Pope observed that "men and women everywhere look to the future in the hope of real and lasting peace, founded on a civilization which respects the rights of all and safeguards the authentic common good. ... At this significant moment of history, a concerted effort must be made to ensure that new generations reject the ways of discrimination, exclusion and conflict, and set out resolutely on the path to peace in a spirit of openness to the values and traditions of others."

He praised their "lead ... in seeking to promote a culture of non-violence and peace among the children of the world during the coming decade," and "in recognizing that a civilization of peace cannot be built without tackling the problem of external debt."

AC;NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATES;...;...;VIS;20001113;Word: 180;