AUDIENCE WITH
THE ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER
COMMUNIQUE
This morning, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania , Mr. Sali Berisha was received by Pope Benedict XVI and, subsequently, met with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was accompanied by the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
During the cordial talks, there was an exchange of views on various topics concerning the current international situation, with particular reference to the Western Balkan region.
In addition, they reviewed various aspects of bilateral relations, sharing positive views of their development. Mention was also made of traditional family values, which are the common heritage of the Albanian people.
What was not in the communique:
Pope invited to Albania
for Mother Teresa's
100th birth anniversary
VATICAN CITY, Dec. 12 (Translated from Apcom) - The Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berisha, invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit Albania next year for the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa's birth.
The Blessed nun, who is known as Teresa of Calcutta, was born from Albanian parents in Skopje, part of then Yugoslavia, but spent much of her missionary life and remarkable apostolate in India.
Berisha was accompanied by his wife Liri.
[What Apcom does not point out is that the Pope's foreign itinerary for 2010 appears to have been firmed up by now, to include Malta in April, Portugal in May, Cyprus in June, and the United Kingdom in September.
Mother Teresa's birthday falls on August 28, and of course, since Albania is just across the Adriatic from Italy, the possiblity cannot be ruled out.]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 13/12/2009 03:23]