Holy See desires rapid conclusion of talks with Israel, says Vatican spokesman

Vatican City, Nov 19, 2007 / 09:40 am

The director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, reacted this weekend to statements by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the former Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, who said he had reservations about the current negotiations between the Holy See and that country, saying the archbishop’s comments represent “his thought and this personal experience gathered during his years of service” in the Holy Land.

“The interview with Archbishop Sambi, was published on the website www.terrasanta.net, reflects his thought and his personal experience gathered during his years of service at the Apostolic Delegation of Jerusalem, and as nuncio in Israel,” Father Lombardi stated in a press release.

“The Holy See, for its part,” the statement continued, “reiterates its previously stated desire during the recent visit by President Peres with the Holy Father—‘for a rapid conclusion to the important negotiations already in progress’ in order to find a common solution to existing problems.”

In the interview, Archbishop Sambi, current Apostolic Nuncio in the United States, said the economic accord between the Holy See and Israel has still not been signed “after almost ten years of useless negotiations because of the continuous delays on the part of the Israeli delegation in holding meetings, the delegation’s lack of decision-making authority, in a word, because of the absence of political will.”