Washington, Sep 23 (Prensa Latina) Pope Francis today praised the efforts of Barack Obama''s administration to restore broken relations in the international arena, while the host thanked the Supreme Pontiff his support to the rapprochement process with Cuba.
Before the 15,000 people gathered at the White House gardens, the Bishop of Rome, who arrived in this capital yesterday from Cuba, praised in presence of Obama the recent steps "to open new doors of cooperation."

Apart from the decision of normalizing links with Cuba, announced in Washington and Havana last December 17, the U.S. executive defends from the internal Republican opposition the international agreement reached in Vienna over the Iranian nuclear program, and it has been committed to seek a global solution for the climate change.

The Pope today said that those are positive steps towards reconciliation, justice, and freedom, and prayed for people of goodwill in the U.S. back the international community's efforts to protect the world's most vulnerable people and encourage comprehensive and inclusive development models.

For his part, Obama thanked the "invaluable support" of His Holiness for the new start between the U.S. and Cuba, which promises, he noted, better relations between the two nations, a bigger hemispheric cooperation, and a better life for the Cuban people.

The Bishop of Rome yesterday called for reaching an agreement that satisfy the parties, in reference to the lift of the over 50-year-old U.S. economic blockade of Cuba.

After the welcome ceremony, Obama and Francis met at the presidential headquarters this morning.