Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Pope Francis to India following a one-on-one meeting in Vatican City on Saturday. He was accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. According to the news agency PTI, the meeting was scheduled to last 20 minutes but ended up lasting an hour.
“I had an incredible encounter with Pope Francis. I spoke with him about a variety of topics and also invited him to visit India “PM Modi’s personal account stated as much in a tweet.
According to sources, PM Modi and Pope Francis discussed a range of issues aimed at improving the state of our planet, including climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation.
“In 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister and Pope John Paul II visited India, the last papal visit occurred. The Pope has been invited to pay a visit to India during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure “based on sources
The meeting was convened in advance of the delegation-level discussions, which are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including COVID-19.
Prime Minister Modi is in Rome for a two-day visit at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in connection with the G20 Summit.
The discussions with the Pope were unscheduled. “When speaking with His Holiness about issues, I believe it is customary to avoid having an agenda. And I believe that is something we all respect. I’m confident that the topics will cover a broad range of interests in terms of global perspectives and issues that affect us all “India’s Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, stated yesterday.
PM Modi will then travel to Glasgow, Scotland, at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for the COP26 meeting.
The Prime Minister met with members of various communities in the Italian capital on Friday, including the Indian community and friends of India from various organisations.
PM Modi previously paid floral tributes in Rome to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.