Displaying items by tag: diplomatic relations

Pope Francis, despite health challenges, has embarked on his longest trip as pope, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. In this significant visit, which will cover over 32,000 km, he will aim to strengthen ties with Asian countries where Catholicism is often a minority faith but plays a crucial role in education and charity. The trip also highlights the shift in the Catholic Church’s focus toward Asia and away from a Eurocentric model. In Indonesia, the Pope will meet with Muslim leaders and sign an interfaith declaration, emphasising harmony between religions. Francis will again urge world leaders to take stronger action against climate change, particularly when he is in Papua New Guinea, and in the background there are ongoing efforts to rebuild diplomatic ties with China. This trip demonstrates the Pope’s continued energy - even at the age of 87 - and commitment to global outreach.

On 20 July Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador only hours after protesters angered by the burning of the Quran in Sweden stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad, scaling the walls of the compound and setting it on fire. Iraq’s prime minister also recalled his country’s chargé d’affaires in Sweden and suspended the working permit of Swedish telecom company Ericsson on Iraqi soil. The burning of the embassy was called by supporters of the influential Iraqi Shia religious and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, to protest against the second planned burning of a Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm that day. However, although protesters in Sweden kicked and partially damaged the Quran, they did not burn it as promised. In Baghdad, all the Swedish embassy staff are safe. Sweden’s foreign ministry condemned the attack and highlighted the need for Iraqi authorities to protect diplomatic missions. See also Europe article 2, ‘Sweden: religious intolerance’.