Vatican and Arab League agree to promote ""peace, security and stability"

The Vatican and the Arab League have signed a joint agreement to work together to promote peace and justice in the world:

The meetings allowed for an exchange of view on the international situation, especially in the Middle East, and on the need to find a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the other conflicts which afflict the region, the Holy See said.

The apostolic nuncio in Egypt, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, today spoke with Vatican Radio about the memorandum and [Arab League secretary-general] Amre Moussa's visit with the Holy Father, indicating two chief areas of cooperation (Zenit News, April 24, 2009):

First, the archbishop said, it calls for cooperation in "the search for peace; this especially interests the Holy See, and also the Arab League, which did a lot to mediate, particularly during the war in Iraq."

Secondly, he continued, it calls for "cultural cooperation, the dialogue of cultures, the dialogue of civilization and also interreligious dialogue, which can be fulfilled with the Arab League since they have a department for culture."

Now that the memorandum has been signed, the archbishop said, "We have to try to see what we can do and what contribution we can make together."