Pope Francis publicly shared that the Vatican is open to participating in mediation regarding the ongoing dispute over the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro declaring himself interim president of Venezuela. The ongoing issues arose after the country was thrown into unrest over Maduro’s leadership.

The announcement from the Pope came as he flew back to Rome from a two-day visit to the UAB. He told the media that the Vatican is “always available”, and would be happy to assist with the mediation, but he acknowledged that in order for it to be successful both sides need to be involved and requesting assistance.

He also addressed whether or not Maduro had recently sent a letter to the Vatican, stating that Maduro had but it had not yet been read. He discussed the issues in Venezuela for about 30 minutes during a press conference that also addressed the sex abuse scandal that has been ongoing in the church.

According to the Pope, he will “… see what can be done, but the initial condition is that it is both sides that ask for [mediation.]”

The dispute began after Maduro was sworn in for a second term in January. The election that allowed him to remain in power was boycotted by opposition politicians who claimed the voting system had been rigged. Most European countries and the United States back the opposition and claim that the unfairness of the election left the presidency vacant.

Pope Francis seems optimistic about the prospect of mediation for resolving the problem, but points out that both sides must be on board for the process to work.