POPE WELCOMES PRESIDENT OF SLOVAKIA

VATICAN CITY, OCT 29, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this afternoon:

"Today, Friday October 29, 1999, the Holy Father received Rudolf Schuster, president of the Republic of Slovakia, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Eduard Kukan.

"Later, President Schuster visited Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano. Also present at the meeting was Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States.

"During the talks, the existing relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Slovakia were examined, and commitments made for a harmonious cooperation between the parties, especially in view of a bilateral agreement to regulate several questions of common interest."

OP;...;...;SLOVAKIA; SCHUSTER; NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;19991029;Word: 120;