Vatican City, Feb 17, 2011 / 14:34 pm
Pope Benedict XVI met with president Dmitry Medvedev at the Vatican on Feb. 17 in their first meeting since the Holy See and Russia decided to upgrade their diplomatic relationship in 2009.
Medvedev was accompanied by his wife and several assistants, including his minister for foreign affairs, Sergey Lavrov. The Russian president is also in Italy for two days to meet with government leaders and inaugurate a year of cultural exchange between the two nations.
“This is a very important meeting,” the Pope told the Medvedev as they exchanged greetings briefly before closing the doors for their private audience in the papal library.
After an unusually long encounter of more than a half-hour, the doors were opened again to reporters who witnessed the exchange of gifts.