On June 26, the President of the European Parliament went to the Holy See to meet Pope Francis and the Vatican Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The conversation with the Holy Father, focused on the need to protect the weakest and most vulnerable: the rights of people are the measure of all things. The European recovery will only be successful if it produces a reduction in inequalities.
Many issues on the international and European agenda were addressed with Secretary of State Parolin and Deputy Secretary of State Paul Gallagher including the situation in the Mediterranean, Africa, the Western Balkans and the accession process, and the Eastern neighborhood. Particular focus was given to European efforts to make vaccines available in low-income countries, especially in Africa.