U.S. Home Secretary John Kerry to visit Italy, Vatican City

Washington D.C. [United States], Nov. 30 (ANI): U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will be on a two day visit to Rome, Italy, and Vatican City on December 2-3 for bilateral meetings and to participate in the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues. Kerry will meet with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Rome to discuss cooperation on a range of regional and global issues, including Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the enduring strength of the Transatlantic Alliance. He will also work with other senior leaders at the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues to deepen cooperation on a range of challenges and opportunities across the Mediterranean region, including advancing the Dialogues' vision of a "positive agenda" in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. The Secretary will meet with Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in Vatican City to discuss international issues and peace efforts, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria, violence in Ukraine, and the ongoing dialogue in Venezuela. U.S. Secretary of State John Kirby said in a statement," The United States deeply appreciates the efforts of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Holy See to focus attention on the plight of vulnerable migrants, call for action on climate change, prevent further persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in conflict areas, and support peaceful conflict resolution around the world." (ANI)