Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Lex Delles left on Wednesday for an "economic and tourist mission" in Italy. Xavier Bettel will visit the Vatican on Saturday.

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Tourism will be in Emilia-Romagna from Wednesday to Friday, notably in Bologna, where the "Emilia Romagna – Luxembourg Business Forum" will be held.

In order to promote Luxembourg as a tourist destination, the Directorate-General for Tourism will host a workshop focusing on leisure and conference tourism.

The Prime Minister will continue his journey on Saturday with official visits to San Marino and Rome. Although there will be no meeting with the new Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, an audience with Pope Francis is planned.

The Head of the Roman Catholic Church will receive the Luxembourgish Prime Minister and Minister for Religious Affairs for a private audience at the Vatican.

Xavier Bettel will be accompanied only by the Luxembourgish ambassador to the Holy See, Jean-Claude Kugener.

Bettel studied ecclesiastical law at the University of Thessaloniki as part of his academic studies.

The last Luxembourgish politician to be received by the Pope was the former Minister for the Environment Carole Dieschbourg (Green Party) in September 2015. At the time, she was president of the Council of Ministers for the Environment.

In 2015, the government and the Grand Duchy's religious communities signed an agreement that formally established the separation of state and church in Luxembourg.