Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Pope Francis on diverse issues and also invited him to visit India at the Vatican on Saturday. In social media posting, Modi said the two had a very warm meeting on a wide range of issues. Modi gifted a silver candle stand and a book to the Pope.
Modi was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
The Pope gave Modi a collection of his main teaching documents and a bronze medallion featuring a tree and the words in Italian “The desert will become a garden.” US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis on Friday.
The last Papal visit to India took place 22 years back when Pope John Paul II met A B Vajpayee in 1999.
Modi arrived in Italy on Friday to participate in the two-day G20 Summit.
He will be a part of the G20 opening session on Global Economy and Global Health today. Modi will be meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Indonesian President Indonesia Joko Widodo and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hosein Loong.
Pope Francis has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India. At their meeting on Saturday, the Pope told PM Modi said that the invitation to visit India was a ‘great gift’. Accepting the invitation, Pope Francis said that he is looking forward to visiting India. As per sources, dates for the visit will be decided mutually.
