GENEVA 

Pope Leo XIV on Monday met with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the Vatican to discuss several issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

According to Vatican News, the Holy See's official outlet, during the meeting, "several topics of common interest were addressed, such as the urgent need to end the war in the Middle East and the commitment to peace among nations."

It said that attention "was given to the Kingdom of Bahrain's policy of promoting interreligious dialogue and the peaceful coexistence of different religions within the Kingdom."

The sides also expressed appreciation for their "good bilateral relations" with "agreement on their desire to further strengthen them," according to Vatican News

It said the crown prince also held talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Monsignor Miroslaw Stanislaw Wachowski, the Vatican’s under-secretary for relations with states and international organizations.