LONDON

The Italian president has expressed good wishes ahead of Pope Leo's visit to Türkiye and Lebanon, saying he believes it will revive the "cause of unity and human brotherhood."

Sergio Mattarella said in his message ahead of the pontiff's first official trip abroad, to Türkiye, that cultural pluralism has long been a fundamental feature of civilizations that arose along the Mediterranean shores, "even if we now struggle to remember it."

"It is time for the yearning for peace and stability, shared by all peoples, to be translated into concrete initiatives," the president was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA as saying.

The pope's presence in Türkiye and Lebanon will "undoubtedly reinvigorate the cause of unity and human brotherhood," said Mattarella, expressing good wishes to Leo on his visit to Türkiye and Lebanon.

Pope Leo departed from Rome on early Thursday for his first official trip abroad, heading to Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The pontiff will meet with Turkish officials, tour key cities, and visit significant religious sites during his stay on Nov. 27-30.

He will later pay a three-day visit to Lebanon from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.