PLO wants Pope involved

2007-12-10 21:24

Vatican City - The Palestinian Liberation Organisation's new Vatican envoy urged Pope Benedict XVI during a meeting on Monday to be actively involved in the Mideast peace process, said a religious news agency.

Envoy Shawqi Armali delivered a message to the pontiff from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a "very active presence of the Holy See during negotiations taking place after the (Middle East peace) conference in Annapolis," reported the I Media news agency.

The Vatican said in a statement only that the two had met.

A steering committee of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators holds talks on Wednesday for the first time since the November conference outside Washington.

A Holy See delegation took part in the US-sponsored peace talks.

The Vatican backs separate Palestinian and Israeli states and says any sustainable peace must resolve the status of Jerusalem.

- AFP