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                             Vatican Information Service.   
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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   RESUMPTION OF TALKS BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE PLO   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 9 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the   
   following English-language communique at midday today:   
      
   "Talks between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO)   
   resumed this morning at the Headquarters of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud   
   Abbas, in Ramallah, following the Basic Agreement signed in 2000. The talks   
   aimed at a comprehensive international agreement regulating and promoting the   
   presence and activities of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian Territories,   
   so strengthening the special relations between the Holy See and the PLO.   
      
   "The talks were co-chaired by Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, under secretary for the   
   Holy See's relations with States, and Ziad Al-Bandak, the president's advisor   
   for Christian relations. The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere.   
      
   "Both sides agreed on establishing a working group to elaborate the   
   aforementioned comprehensive agreement.   
      
   "The Holy See delegation was composed of Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic   
   delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine; Bishop Salim Sayegh, vicar general of the   
   Latin Patriarchate in Amman; Msgr. Maurizio Malvestiti, under secretary of the   
   Congregation for Oriental Churches; Msgr. Alberto Ortega, official of the Holy   
   See Secretariat of State; Msgr. Waldemar Sommertag, counsellor of the apostolic   
   delegation in Jerusalem; Ghassan Faramand, legal advisor, and Fr. Emil Salayta,   
   president of the ecclesiastical tribunal court in Jerusalem.   
      
   "The Palestinian delegation was composed of Nabil Shath, member of the PLO   
   central committee; Nimer Hamad, presidential advisor; Ambassador Shawqi Armali;   
   Ramzi Khouri, head of the Palestinian National Fund, Bernard Sabella, member of   
   the PLC, and lssa Kassissieh, deputy head of the Negotiations Affairs   
   Department".   
   OP/VIS 20101209 (270)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)