VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday urged a "greater opening" by Iran to the international community as he met Tehran's new ambassador to the Vatican.
"Iran is a great nation... and its people have a deep religious sensibility," the pope said as he accepted Ali Akbar Naseri's credentials.
"That may be a reason to hope for a greater opening and confident collaboration with the international community," he said.
"We must all hope and support a new phase of international cooperation," said the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Benedict said: "Among universal rights, religious freedom and freedom of conscience hold a fundamental place because they are the source of other freedoms."
Iran's 65 million-strong population includes some 20,000 Chaldean, Armenian and Latin Catholics.
"Catholics have been present in Iran since the first centuries of Christianity," Benedict said, adding: "This community is truly Iranian."
He said the Church was "confident that the Iranian authorities will strengthen and ensure the freedom of Christians to profess their faith, and ensure the Catholic community the conditions essential for its existence."
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