Reception of the Holy See Secretary for relations with states
Ljubljana, 04/02/2007 | press release
President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovšek, today received the secretary of the HolySee for relations with states, mgr. Dominique Mamberti.
The interlocutors stated that the relations between Slovenia and Vatican City are excellent, which applies also to the relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the state in Slovenia.
President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Drnovšek, devoted a considerable bit of time to discussing with his guest the situation in the East Africa, especially in Darfour, for Mr Mamberti had spent several years working in the Sudan and Eritrea prior to the appointment to the present position.
They agreed that Darfour is the example of persistence and selflessness of the workersof different humanitarian organisations, as well as the metaphor of the inefficiency in seeking political solutions.
President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Drnovšek, stressed ‘The World for Darfour,’ a successful joint action carried out in the previous year by all humanitarian organisations in Slovenia, which raised an extraordinary sum for the Slovenian circumstances; at the same time, the action significantly raised the awareness of the necessity of human solidarity.
The head of the Vatican diplomacy, mgr. Dominique Mamberti, was interested in the opinion of the President, Dr Janez Drnovšek, on the situation in Kosovo. In the President’s words, the Ahtisaari plan is the best possible solution the former Finnish president could offer to the parties to conflict; however, there does not seem to be a universally accepted ideal solution to the accumulated problems. Therefore it is important that the international community support the Ahtisaari plan. This applies also to the political leadership of Serbia.
President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Drnovšek, commended the humanitarian activities of the Church, missionaries, Jesuits and other segments of the Church. He remarked, however, that it is important for the Church itself as well as for its members that the Church always devote its primary attention to spiritual values before the material ones.