Signifying another historic event of the first ever meeting between the a Sri Lankan head of the State and His holiness Pope Benedict XVI, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a audience with His Holiness Pope at the Vatican yesterday (20).

President Rajapaksa met His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Papal Library in the Vatican Palace, after President was greeted by the Pope at the historic room of Saints Peter and Paul. The meeting between the Pope and President had been strictly one to one event in keeping with the tradition.

Later President had a friendly and cordial discussion regarding the situation prevailing in Sri Lanka with Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone- the Vatican Secretary of State. In response to the interest in developments in Sri Lanka expressed by the Cardinal, President Rajapaksa explained that the problem in Sri Lanka was not an ethnic or religious conflict but a terrorist problem.

President has further explained that the Government was fully committed to a negotiated settlement to the matters regarding the rights of the minorities and that the Government did not believe in any military solution to the issue. The President said whatever military action being taken by the Government was meant to contain the threat posed by terrorism. The Vatican Secretary of State expressed his satisfaction about the religious amity that prevailed in Sri Lanka and especially at the absence of any religious wars in Sri Lanka for more than 500 years.

Talking about the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), President explained that the Committee was deliberating on proposals for a negotiated settlement and that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party will shortly present its own proposals to the APRC on power sharing.

In response to Cardinal Bertone's request on facilities be allowed for pilgrims to have easy access to the Madhu Church, President Rajapaksa said he was eager to provide such facilities, but was faced with the fact of Madhu Church being located in an area temporarily under LTTE control.

The visit of President Rajapaksa was marked by the pageantry associated with ceremonies related to the visit of Heads of State to the Vatican. Members of the Vatican's Swiss Guards provided a guard of honour to the President at the courtyard of the Vatican.

President, First Lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan delegation were later taken on a special tour in St. Peter's Basilica, led by Head of the vatican's Congregation of the Liturgy Archbishop Dr. Malcolm Ranjith, where President led delegation viewed the Michael Angelo's sculpture of the 'Pieta', the sculpture of St. Peter, the tomb of Pope John Paul II and many other historic monuments.