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Pope marks 50th anniversary of Cold War-era deal on security and human rights

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called for a renewed commitment to diplomacy to resolve conflicts as he marked the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords, the landmark Cold War-era agreement that ushered in a new era of security and human rights.

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Pope marks 50th anniversary of Cold War-era deal on security and human rights

Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)


ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called for a renewed commitment to diplomacy to resolve conflicts as he marked the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords, the landmark Cold War-era agreement that ushered in a new era of security and human rights.

At the end of his general audience, history’s first American pope said that Aug. 1 marks the anniversary of the conclusion of the 35-nation that resulted in the Helsinki Final Act, which years later helped give birth to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

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