Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, received  Abdou Diouf,  Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, today in Rome.

Their talks focused on the agreement signed in Paris last May establishing a reference framework  for cooperation between  La Francophonie and the Order of Malta in their relative areas of competence for peace, democracy and human rights and particularly with regards to preventing conflicts, mediating in crisis situations and promoting human rights.

The Grand Master and Secretary General also discussed the ongoing humanitarian emergencies, including the dramatic situation caused by the Ebola epidemic which is bringing multiple West African countries to their knees.  Concern was also expressed for the situation in the Middle East and for the vast migratory flows from the African continent to Europe – provoked by the conflicts in progress –  where the Order of Malta is on the front line.  In this regard Abdou Diouf said that “greater cooperation between African and European countries is necessary, to tackle in the countries of origin the problems causing the migratory phenomena and to combat the traffic of human beings”.

The next summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie will take place in Dakar, Senegal in November and will be entitled “Women and young people of La Francophonie, actors for peace, vectors for sustainable development”.  A delegation of the Sovereign Order of Malta will be participating.