VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2005 (VIS) - This morning, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released a declaration to journalists concerning the visit made today to Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for Relations with States, by Cyril Svoboda, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, accompanied by a delegation.
"In the course of the meeting," the declaration reads, "discussions focussed on bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Czech Republic, in particular on the agreement regulating mutual relations, signed in Prague on July 25, 2002, but not yet ratified. Archbishop Lajolo expressed the hope that difficulties hindering the ratification on the Czech side can be overcome. ... He also declared the willingness of the Secretariat of State to favor such a process. Among other subjects discussed were certain aspects of plans for a law reforming religious freedom, and proposals for a solution of the question of Catholic Church property confiscated at the time of the communist regime. To this end, it was agreed that it would be appropriate to constitute a joint commission with a fixed-term mandate.
"The conversation also ranged over other themes of current international importance, in particular the process of consolidating and enlarging the European Union. ... Other themes were: the Middle East, and collaboration in international organizations with reference to some important ethical questions."
OP/VISIT CZECH MINISTER/NAVARRO-VALLS VIS 20051005 (230)
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