Mokhtari congratulated the Pope on his election as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church.
He expressed hope on Friday that the Vatican’s new leadership would open new avenues for developing cultural, religious, and diplomatic cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Vatican City.
Referring to the common potentials of the two sides, Mokhtari said international cooperation can play an effective role in strengthening peace, justice, and coexistence.
On May 8, Cardinal Prevost was elected as the successor to the late Pope Francis after two days of discussions and voting among the cardinals. The new pope, named Leo XIV, is 69 years old and comes from Chicago, Illinois. He is the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
When Prevost was a cardinal, he dedicated many years to service in Latin America, spending a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and most recently, Prevost served as the bishop in Chiclayo from 2014 until 2023.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis, passed away at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke, following a recent recovery from pneumonia.
IRNA