Vatican City (AsiaNews) - In the late morning, the Pope received in audience the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, and addressed to him the following words of greeting:
Mr. President,
With pleasure I greet you, and those accompanying you, as you come to the Vatican, and I thank you for the kind sentiments you have expressed on behalf of the people of your nation.
In these times of turmoil and violence, I encourage you and your fellow citizens to continue to foster a spirit of dialogue and tolerance in your region. It is only by acknowledging the need for mutual understanding among peoples, through a frank and open exchange of ideas, that the world can obtain authentic justice and peace. Upon you and all the people of Pakistan I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.