I would propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 245 together.
The position of Dean of the diplomatic corps is a ceremonial one. The Dean leads and represents the diplomatic corps on certain State occasions. The longstanding practice whereby the Papal Nuncio assumes the position of Dean of the diplomatic corps is in full accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and is followed by a majority of EU Member States, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Malta and Italy, as well as by Switzerland and many other countries around the world.