In December 1999, His Holiness Pope John Paul II appointed Mgr. Giuseppe "Chargé d'Affaires with Letters" of the Apostolic Nunciatures in Kuwait, Yemen and Bahrain, and of the Apostolic Delegation of the Arabian Peninsula. On 18 January 2000, the monsignor arrived in Kuwait to assume his duties.
Mgr. Giuseppe considers the most important aspect of his role to be a link between local churches and the Holy Father. "The papal representative is the eyes, ears and thumb of the Holy Father," he declared. "The second most important aspect is that the diplomatic representative constitutes a link between governments and the Holy Father."
Mgr. Giuseppe described his first impressions of Kuwait as "good". "The climate is different, at times difficult, but not impossible," he said with a diplomatic smile.
Turning to the topic of church attendance, Mgr. Giuseppe rated it excellent in Kuwait and the UAE and in the Gulf states in general. "This is attributable to the deep faith of the immigrants and the work of the priests and the clergy. People here have to struggle more with essentials. They are less distracted by other things. Survival is very important for them. This is especially relevant to domestics. The church is a meeting place with God and with one another. I am deeply touched by their devotion," he said.
Speaking about the establishment of diplomatic ties between Kuwait, an Islamic state and the Vatican, Mgr. Giuseppe clarified that the relationship is actually one between Kuwait and the 'Holy See' - the Pope himself.
"I am the ambassador of a person who represents the whole Church," he said and lightened the atmosphere with an anecdote. Someone recently called him up and asked him, "Father, where should I apply for a visa to the Vatican?" "I said to him", said Mgr. Giuseppe, smiling at the memory, 'You don't need one. Go to Rome, and walk in and out of Vatican City."
He went on to explain that ties between the Holy See and the State of Kuwait have been in existence since 1968, what is new, is the establishment of a resident representative. Formerly, the nuncio in Lebanon was in charge until January 2000, when Mgr. Giuseppe came in.
"The establishment of ties speaks of the respect the state of Kuwait and the Holy See have for each other. This is of great significance for followers of the two religions, as these positive sentiments pass from the state level to adherents of the two religions, viz, Muslims and Christians," he explained.
Mgr. Giuseppe noted that out of the 56 member and 4 observer states of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), currently 45 of the member states and all 4 observers have diplomatic relations with the Holy See, while world-wide 170 countries have diplomatic ties with the Holy See.
LINGUIST AND WORLD TRAVELLER
An Italian, the monsignor speaks English very fluently, a feat he attributes to spending 41 years in the United States of America. He also speaks French, Spanish and Portuguese well. When asked whether Mgr. Giuseppe was going to try and master Arabic, to add to his very considerable linguistic accomplishments, he laughed, adding, "With very little hope, all I can say now with confidence is 'shukran' and 'salaam alaykum'."
Said Mgr. Giuseppe, when asked if he liked to travel, "I still have India and China to see." As for whether he had ever met Mother Teresa at any time, he replied that he had not had the opportunity, "but I frequently meet her ‘sisters’ in Rome and, lately, in Yemen, where they are based in Salah, Hodaidah, Taiz and Aden. Mother Teresa had put the condition that wherever here sisters are based, there should be a priest as well, and that's how the priests are there, to cater to the religious needs of the Sisters of Mercy."
PERSON OF SIMPLE LIVING
About his hobbies and interests, Mgr. Giuseppe said that he had none, really, except that, he "loves to meet people."
When asked what cuisine he liked the best: Arabic, Indian or continental and whether he cared for spicy Indian food, he replied, "I eat anything that's given to me. I appreciate everything, but don't pay that much attention to it," he said, graciously.
As for exercise, (sorely needed in a country like Kuwait with its sedentary lifestyle, partly blamed on the inclement weather) Mgr. Giuseppe said, "After settling in, I will take some walks. I do enjoy taking a dip every now and then in the swimming pool."
CHERISHED SON AND BROTHER
Speaking about his family, he said, "My parents were very simple and hard-working. My father died at 92 and my mother at 76. What they gave me was a basic good education, a sense of values and a strong Christian faith. I cherish the memory of my parents. If you have good parents, you are starting well in life," he noted.
"My only sibling is my brother. He is an archbishop and was nuncio in Angola, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. He lives in Rome now and is in the Vatican."
AMBASSADOR OF GOODWILL
When asked if he had any message for the government and people of Kuwait, Mgr. Giuseppe said it was, "Peace and continued progress."
FACE TO FACE WITH 
