Pope Francis has expressed concern over the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenian President Borut Pahor said on Monday after the meeting in Vatican.

Pahor said that the Pope clarified his views on the situation in the Western Balkans and pointed out that the region lacks political readiness for symbolic gestures of reconciliation.

He also noted that the Pope is especially worried about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that both of them assessed that the importance of reconciliation is underestimated and that it is practically non-existent at the moment.

Pahor said that he and the Pope advocate peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis.

“A peaceful solution must be found at all costs, if we do not want to bring Europe to the brink of despair,” Pahor told RTV Slovenia following the meeting.

Pahor expressed hope that Pope Francis would be able to visit Slovenia “at least for a few hours, maybe this year.”