Skip to main content

Narendra Modi holds ‘very warm meeting’ with Pope Francis in Rome, invites him to India

Vatican City: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called on Pope Francis at the Vatican and discussed with him issues covering a range of areas of interest, including COVID-19, general global perspectives and maintaining peace and tranquility.

It is the first-ever one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.

A meeting that was scheduled only for twenty minutes went on for an hour! PM Modi and the Pope discussed a wide range of issues aimed at making the planet better such as fighting climate change and removing poverty, said sources.

Modi is also the first Indian Prime Minister Francis has met since becoming Pope in 2013.

It may be recalled that the last Papal Visit happened in 1999 when Atal Vajpayee was the prime minister and Pope John Paul II had come. Now it is during PM Modi’s term that the Pope has been invited to visit India, reports ANI. At the Vatican, Modi was accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Prime Minister also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican City State. Ahead of the historic meeting, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday said that the Prime Minister will have a separate meeting with the Pope. He will be meeting his holiness on a one-to-one basis, he said during a press conference in Rome. Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will pay a call on His Holiness, Pope Francis at the Vatican City, and thereafter, he will attend G20 sessions, where he will also hold more bilateral meetings and we will continue to keep you informed, Shringla had said.

The meeting could, after a certain period of time, be followed up by delegation-level talks, he had said. The Vatican has not set an agenda. I believe, tradition is not to have an agenda when you discuss issues with His Holiness. And I think we would respect that.

I am sure the issues would cover a range of areas of interest in terms of the general global perspectives and issues that are important to all of us, COVID-19, health issues, how we can work together to maintain peace and tranquility and this is something that, I think would be the general trend in the discussions, the Foreign Secretary added on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3nLmBkT

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COVID-19 vaccination: Registration for citizens above 18 years of age starts today on CoWin, Aarogya Setu portals

The registration for COVID-19 vaccination for people above the age of 18 years in India started from today ( Wednesday, 28 April ). Those who are eligible for vaccination can register themselves on two applications, namely CoWin and Aarogya Setu, to book their slots for taking the vaccine jab. For those above the age of 18, coronavirus vaccination will start from 1 May. People above the age of 18 can take the following steps to register for the vaccination: Step 1 : Open the play store to download the CoWin app or visit CoWin.gov.in Step 2 : Register on the portal using your mobile number. You will receive an OTP. Enter it to complete the registration Step 3 : You will have to enter your personal details including the number of your photo identification Step 4 : After the registration, select the date, time, and venue for your COVID-19 vaccination Step 5 : Visit the vaccination centre with your appointment slip and receive your first jab Once a person receives the first jab, th...
Post a Comment
Read more

India plans to import next batch of cheetahs from Northern Africa

India is considering importing cheetahs from northern Africa due to concerns that some of these big cats from Namibia and South Africa have developed a winter coat in Indian summer, officials said on Wednesday. According to officials, one of the biggest challenges faced in the first year of managing cheetahs in India was the unexpected development of winter coats by some cheetahs during the Indian summer and monsoon, in anticipation of the African winter (June to September). Even African experts did not expect it, a senior forest official said. The winter coat, combined with high humidity and temperatures, caused itching, prompting the animals to scratch their necks on tree trunks or the ground. This led to bruises and exposed skin, where flies laid their eggs, resulting in maggot infestations and, ultimately, bacterial infections and septicaemia, leading to the death of three cheetahs, the official explained. “Cheetahs in northern and north-eastern Africa, which is in the northern...
Post a Comment
Read more

7 leopard cubs die at Bengaluru biological park after virus attack: Report

Seven leopard cubs have died at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru after being infected by a highly contagious virus, officials said on Tuesday. Feline panleukopenia (FP) is a viral disease of cats caused by the feline parvovirus. Kittens are most severely affected by the virus, they said. The seven cubs were aged between three and eight months. All of them were vaccinated but succumbed during the course of treatment. According to officials, the first outbreak was reported on August 22. Executive Director of Bannerghatta Biological Park, AV Surya Sen said though the seven cubs were vaccinated, they were still infected. “It is now under control and in the last 15 days, no deaths have been reported. We have completely broken the chain and taken all necessary measures. We followed all the required procedure and also held discussions with all our senior veterinarians. All correct course of action was taken. Also, we have ensured hygiene of the entire zoo and the rescue centre wa...
Post a Comment
Read more