ROME: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati will visit the Vatican on Wednesday to meet the Pope, the Ambassador of Lebanon to the Vatican, Farid Elias Al-Khazen, has announced.

In an interview with the Italian newsagency Nova the diplomat said that Mikati鈥檚 visit 鈥渋s necessary to discuss both bilateral issues and about some international themes.鈥� 

The Vatican Press office has not confirmed the report.

The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, is due to visit Lebanon before Christmas.

Pope Francis has repeatedly said he thinks a lot about Lebanon and its people.

On Aug. 4, on the first anniversary of the huge blast in Beirut that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars鈥� worth of damage, he said he had a 鈥済reat鈥� desire to visit Lebanon.

On that occasion he said that many in Lebanon had lost 鈥渆ven the illusion of living,鈥� and urged donors to help that country 鈥渙n a path of resurrection.鈥�

He called for 鈥渃oncrete gestures, not just words.鈥�

鈥淒ear Lebanese, my desire to come to visit you is great. And I will not tire of praying for you so that Lebanon returns to being a message of brotherhood, a message of peace for all of the Middle East,鈥� Pope Francis had said.