Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican as part of an official visit to Rome, where he will also hold talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The visit comes amid US-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to implement a framework agreement to end Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.
The latest talks, held at the US embassy in Rome, focused on the creation of a committee to oversee so-called “pilot zones” for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The committee would verify that Hezbollah has disarmed in these areas, that the Lebanese army has assumed control, and that Israeli forces have withdrawn.
Lebanon and Israel have yet to agree on which countries will participate in the committee, but Italy is under consideration. Rome has expressed its readiness to take part.
Mr Aoun’s meetings in Rome come as Lebanon seeks to maintain international support for implementation of the framework agreement, while negotiations continue over the guarantees needed to oversee it on the ground.
Israel’s military operations in southern Lebanon continue to be a major obstacle. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said Israel will not withdraw from the “security zone” it has declared in the area.