New Delhi/Rome, Oct 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis on Saturday at the Vatican and invited the head of the Catholic Church to visit India.

Taking to Twitter after his first-ever meeting with the Pope, Modi said: "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."

According to officials, the meeting which was initially scheduled for only 20 minutes, continued for an hour during which they discussed a wide range of topics, including the fight against climate change and removing poverty.

The last Papal visit to India took place in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

It was the Pope John Paul II who had come to India then.

Modi is on a three day visit to Italy to attend the G20 Summit in Rome from where he will proceed to Glasgow for the UN COP26.

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