Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale172

fondazione, riprende il cammino con più forte slancio apostolico. Possa la

Città del Vaticano essere sempre più una vera « città sul monte », luminosa

grazie alle convinzioni e alla generosa dedizione di quanti vi operano al ser-

vizio della missione ecclesiale del Successore di Pietro. Con tale auspicio,

mentre invoco la materna protezione di Maria, l'intercessione dei Santi Pietro

e Paolo e degli altri martiri che con il loro sangue hanno reso sacro questo

suolo, imparto volentieri la mia Benedizione a voi tutti qui convenuti, esten-

dendola con affetto alla grande famiglia dello Stato della Città del Vaticano.

IV

Ad Consilium regentium Aerarium Internationale pro Agricultura provehenda.*

Governors, Permanent Representatives of the Member States,

Officials of the Ifad,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet all of you at the conclusion

of the celebrations marking the Thirtieth Anniversary of the establishment of

the International Fund for Agricultural Development. I thank the outgoing

President, Mr Lennart Båge, for his kind words and I offer congratulations

and good wishes to Mr Kanayo Nwanze on his election to this high office. I

thank all of you for coming here today and I assure you of my prayers for the

important work that you do to promote rural development. Your work is

particularly crucial at the present time in view of the damaging effect on food

security of the current instability in the prices of agricultural products. This

requires new and far-sighted strategies for the fight against rural poverty and

the promotion of rural development. As you know, the Holy See fully shares

your commitment to overcome poverty and hunger, and to come to the aid of

the world's poorest peoples. I pray that Ifad's anniversary celebration will

provide you with an incentive to pursue these worthy goals with renewed

energy and determination in the years ahead.

Since its earliest days, the International Fund has achieved an exemplary

form of cooperation and coresponsibility between nations at different stages

of development. When wealthy countries and developing nations come toge-

* Die 20 Februarii 2009.