NAKATAKDANG makipagpulong si Pangulong Aquino kay Pope Francis sa Vatican kung saan siya nakatakdang bumisita pagkatapos ng kanyang pagdalo sa 21st Conference of the Parties for the UNFCCC o COP 21 sa Paris.
Sa isang press conference, sinabi ni Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad na Disyembre 4 tutulak si Aquino papuntang Vatican mula sa kanyang official visit sa Paris at Rome.
“The fourth of December, the President will proceed to the Vatican where he will have a private audience with His Holiness Pope Francis and this is a reciprocal visit of the President following the Pope’s visit to the Philippines last January,” sabi ni Natividad.
Idinagdag ni Natividad na ito ay isang oportunidad para mapasalamatan ni Aquino si Pope Francis sa kanyang pagbisita sa Pilipinas at talakayin ang patuloy na rehabilitasyon sa Tacloban matapos salantain ng bagyong Yolanda.
Aniya, nagpakita ng interes si Pope Francis kaugnay ng mga proyekto ng pamahalaan para sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda.
“In Vatican, the President will also witness the unveiling and the blessing of a mosaic sculpture of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and would have an opportunity also to have a meeting with the Filipino priests and religious at the Vatican,” dagdag ni Natividad.
Ayon pa kay Natividad, inaasahang matatalakay sa pulong nina Aquino at Pope Francis ang mga isyung kapwa malapit sa kanilang puso.
“And this would, of course, include climate change. As you may be aware, the [Pope] has issued an encyclical regarding his concerns on climate change, especially as it affects the poorer sectors of the world population, concerns on violent extremism, and also concerns on the current refugee problem in Europe,” dagdag pa ni Natividad.
Sinabi pa ni Natividad na ito ang unang pagbisita ni Aquino sa Italy at Holy See.
“The visit will enable the President to further expand Philippine bilateral ties and cooperation with the Holy See, with France, and Italy at the highest level. This will also give him an opportunity to once again meet our Filipino compatriots in these cities,” paliwanag pa ni Natividad.
Sinabi pa ni Natividad na inaasahang tatalakayin ni Aquino sa COP21 sa Nobyembre 29 ang mga programa ng gobyerno kontra climate change at pagsuporta sa mga bagong kasunduan para makatulong sa mga komunidad na apektado nito.
“In the afternoon of December 1, the President will proceed to Rome where he will have an official meeting with the President of Italy, President Sergio Mattarella, at the official residence of the President. There is also possibility that the President will meet Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The meeting with the President will provide an opportunity for both Italy and France to pursue and deepen cooperation in various areas,” sabi pa ni Aquino.