VATICAN, September 28. /TASS/. Pope’s Special Envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will focus on humanitarian matters at his upcoming meetings in Moscow, Russian Ambassador to the Holy See Ivan Soltanovsky told TASS.
"The focus, as before, will be on the humanitarian dimensions of the Ukraine crisis, which the Vatican pays special attention to. This field has already yielded practical results. During upcoming contacts certain aspects of humanitarian cooperation will be fine-tuned, and specific issues and additional possibilities for joint work will be discussed, we believe," the Russian diplomat said.
Moscow views Zuppi’s upcoming visit to Moscow as an important stage of ongoing diplomatic work with the Holy See. "This fits well into the dynamics of the latest contacts, including a recent visit to Russia by the Vatican’s top diplomat [Archbishop] Paul Richard Gallagher. At the same time, this marks an important step in the continued humanitarian mission of the Papal special envoy himself," Soltanovsky emphasized.
Zuppi is scheduled to meet with Kremlin Aide Yury Ushako, among other senior Russian officials, which, the diplomat explained, demonstrates Russia’s appreciation of both the cardinal and his efforts and broader cooperation with the Holy See.
Earlier, the cardinal told TASS that he would arrive on a three-day visit to the Russian capital on September 28. As part of his mission, Zuppi will discuss the return home of children evacuated from the combat zone, POW swaps, problems facing civilians as a result of the Ukraine conflict and other humanitarian issues.
