Pope Francis met on March 21 with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun.

A Vatican statement released after the meeting said that the two had discussed the “grave socio-economic problems” in Lebanon, the huge number of refugees, and the prospects for coming national elections.

The Vatican, and the Maronite Catholic Church (which is based in Lebanon), have pressed for measures to safeguard Lebanon’s national sovereignty and the country’s status as a multi-religious society.

The conversation also touched on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Holy See and Lebanon, the Vatican statement noted.