PM Modi calls on Pope Francis, invites him to visit India
Vatican City/New Delhi, Oct 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday discussed a wide range of issues during his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and also invited him to visit India.
The Prime Minister was welcomed warmly at the Vatican by the papal staff, and proceeded to hold one-on-one talks with the pontiff and then delegation level talks.
The Prime Minister and the Pope shook hands warmly and also exchanged a warm hug, according to pictures shared by the PM.
The Prime Minister said in a tweet:
“Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis. I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India. @Pontifex.”
The meeting was slated to last for 20 minutes, but went on for around an hour.
Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis are learnt to have discussed global concerns and also climate change.
His entourage to the Vatican included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval