Senior leader of the Catholic Church Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi met separately with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, on Saturday (26 April, 2025) shortly after the Funeral Mass of Pope Francis in Rome.
Cardinal Tomasi, who recently visited Southeast Asia, discussed geopolitical issues with the Chief Adviser. Both leaders praised Pope Francis’s efforts to call for an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
“Southeast Asia is evolving too fast,” he said, reflecting on his visit to Vietnam, which has been clocking robust growth in recent years.
He stressed more peace-building measures in the region and staying calm in times of tension.
Professor Yunus also praised Vietnam’s spectacular economic growth, saying his government was trying to emulate the South Asian nation in its efforts to attract more foreign investments and turn Bangladesh into an economic hub.
Cardinal Tomasi said he hoped the next Pope would “keep the informality of Pope Francis” and “promote dialogue of peace among countries.”
Lamiya Morshed, the government’s SDG Coordinator; Tareq Ariful Islam, Ambassador to the Vatican; and Rokebul Haque, Ambassador to Italy, were also present during the meetings.
