Today the Holy Father Francis received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, His Excellency Mr. Željko Komšić, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Msgr. Mirosław Wachowski, under-Secretary for Relations with States.

During the discussions in the Secretariat of State, which took place in a cordial atmosphere, the parties focused on the good bilateral relations and the domestic situation of the country, with particular attention to the Catholic community. Likewise, the need to guarantee full respect for the rights of all citizens and the effective equality of the three constituent peoples.

Finally, mention was made of some themes of mutual interest regarding the international and regional context, such as peace and security, the need to foster paths of dialogue to face the various themes in the Western Balkans and the prospects for the enlargement of the European Union in the region.