July 2026
The day after the official presentation of the 47th edition of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, held at the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See, a smaller yet highly significant gathering took place on Thursday, July 9, at Palazzo Grazioli in Rome, home of the Foreign Press Association in Italy.
A conversation with journalists from around the world
The participants were welcomed by the Association’s President, Trisha Thomas, Rome correspondent for Associated Press. The meeting brought together correspondents from several countries, including Lebanon, the United States, Argentina, Spain and the Republic of San Marino.
Representing the Meeting was President Bernhard Scholz, who engaged in an informal, direct and in-depth conversation with the journalists for about an hour. The discussion offered an open opportunity to explore the themes that will shape the 2026 edition of the Meeting.
Particular interest was sparked by the Meeting’s geopolitical focus, which addresses some of the most pressing issues of our time through the contributions of leading figures from different countries and cultural traditions. Numerous events will be devoted to major international issues, conflicts, dialogue among peoples, the challenges of international cooperation, and relations between Europe and the Mediterranean. The programme will also include a panel featuring American speakers to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
The international character of the Meeting will also be reflected in its exhibitions and performances. Among these is the opening concert by the Yasmeen Choir, the Jerusalem youth choir that brings together young people from different cultures and religious traditions, offering a powerful example of how music can become a place of dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Lebanon’s experience at the heart of the Meeting
Special attention was also given to the exhibition dedicated to Lebanon. It tells the story of the decades during which the country was regarded worldwide as a remarkable example of fruitful coexistence among different religions and cultures. The exhibition also presents contemporary experiences that, amid the devastation of war, continue to create places of education, welcome and reconciliation.
These experiences, like many other testimonies featured at this year’s Meeting, show that it is possible to live a good and meaningful life even in the most difficult circumstances. This is precisely the intention behind the title of Meeting 2026, “The love that moves the sun and the other stars”: those who allow themselves to be moved by this love become protagonists of a hope that is open to everyone.
The meeting with the foreign press once again confirmed one of the distinctive features of the Meeting: it is a place where international affairs are not merely analysed, but become an opportunity for mutual understanding, dialogue and the building of relationships, bringing together every year speakers, journalists and participants from dozens of countries.
