Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Italy on Wednesday to hold meetings with Pope Leo XIV, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Aoun arrived at Ciampino military airport near Rome, where he was received by Bruno Pasquino, the head of diplomatic protocol in Italy, and Monsignor Javier Fernandez Gonzalez, the chief of protocol for the Vatican, according to Lebanon's state news agency NNA.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to receive Aoun at 9.30 am local time Thursday, followed by a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the agency said.
On Friday, Aoun is scheduled to meet Mattarella and Meloni.
The Lebanese news agency did not provide details on the planned talks, but they are expected to address Lebanese and regional issues as well as bilateral relations.
Aoun's visit comes amid continued Israeli violations in Lebanon despite the signing of a framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26.
The framework calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army there and the disarmament of armed groups, referring to Hezbollah.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2 have killed 4,348 people and wounded 12,307 while displacing more than 1 million people and causing widespread destruction, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel continues to occupy areas of southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous war between 2023 and 2024. During the current offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.