ROME (dpa-AFX) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Pope Leo this week.
Announcing his visit, the State Department said Rubio will travel to Rome for a three-day tour beginning Wednesday to advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican.
Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere, it added.
Meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment.
The meeting comes at a time Pope Leo and U.S. President Donald Trump sparring over the Trump Administration's policy on the war against Iran.
Reuters quoted The Vatican as saying that Rubio's meeting with the head of the Catholic church is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday.
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