STATEMENT ON AUDIENCE OF PRESIDENT GISCARD D'ESTAING

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this afternoon:

"On the occasion of his visit to Rome October 30-31, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, president of the European Convention, expressed the desire to be received by the Holy Father and to meet the cardinal secretary of state.

"Today, October 31, at the end of the morning he was received by Pope John Paul II and, afterwards, he met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, His Holiness' secretary of state, together with Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States.

"The president's visit was a propitious occasion for an exchange of viewpoints on Europe.
"During the meetings they spoke about the project of the future constitution and the interests of the community of believers in European countries, where they are in the majority, to see their identity and their specific contributions to the life of European societies respected as well as the statute whose benefits they have by virtue of national legislations."

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