A Vatican delegation will go to Israel on Nov. 2 to continue the discussions, he added.

Peter Elliot of the Vatican delegation, who was trying to correct a Spanish press report that the Vatican had decided to accept all forms of contraception.

"We take both the praise and criticism contained in the report with seriousness" said Monsignor Balestrero, head of the Vatican delegation to the Moneyval committee.

In March 2007, a Vatican delegation visited Vietnam and met with local officials.

Mr. Klink has attended 17 United Nations conferences on issues dealing with women and social problems as a member of Vatican delegations.

The Vatican delegation to the United Nations declined to comment on the effort.

At the time, conference participants said, the Vatican delegation was represented - unusually - by a woman, an American whose name was not released.

It was the first time that a women was named to head an official Vatican delegation.

In November a Vatican delegation visited Vietnam for the first time.

David-Maria Jaeger, who took part in the Vatican delegation, reported progress on these issues.