ARCHBISHOP TAURAN MEETS U.S. UNDER-SECRETARY BOLTON

VATICAN CITY, APR 9, 2003 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following statement this afternoon:

"Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, received in audience this morning John Bolton, under-secretary of the government of the United States for arms control and international security.

"Mr. Bolton explained the danger represented by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in various parts of the world. On the Iraqi crisis, he repeated his government's commitment to respect the 'ius in bello' and appreciation for the availability of the Catholic Church to collaborate in the humanitarian field to alleviate the sufferings of the Iraqi people. Lastly, he made reference to what U.S. President George Bush recently affirmed in Belfast about the need for a rapid solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to give the entire Middle East region the possibility for peace."

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