VATICAN, August 20. /TASS/. The Holy See hopes for pragmatic approaches of the US Administration to the international issues, including fighting the climate change, Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in an exclusive interview with TASS on the eve of the visit to Russia, due on August 21-24.
"I hope that despite the determination to fulfill the electoral promises and despite Washington’s announced withdrawal from the Paris Accord, pragmatic approaches will prevail, in continuation to the US administration’s decision to keep the climate change discussion running. We, in our turn, can only wish that President Trump, just like other members of the international community, does not neglect the extremely difficult task of tackling the global warming and its negative consequences that affect the global population, in particular spurring the growth of inequality and poverty," he said.
The cardinal said the meeting between Pope Francis and the US President Donald Trump (in late May - TASS) was in the atmosphere of mutual respect.
"I would say, with mutual sincerity. Both the Pontiff and the US leader were able to share their visions on numerous issues, including the climate change problem."
"In my opinion, modern international relations are becoming increasingly dominated by the understanding that policies and strategies based on open clashes and confrontations, with I would describe as a dialogue of the deaf, or, worse, (policies that) fuel fears and are based on intimidation with nuclear or chemical weapons, do not lead to correct solutions and fail to ease tensions between states," he said. "It has to be noted, as Pope Francis often says, that building peace is a path, which is a lot thornier than war and conflict. Building peace requires a patient and constructive dialogue with mutual respect instead of focusing all attention to own national interests. This is all that is expected from the leaders of global powers."