OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2011. Dmitry Medvedev met with Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.

This was the first official visit of a Russian leader to the Vatican since establishment of full-format diplomatic relations. Following his brief working visit to the Vatican on December 3, 2009, Dmitry Medvedev signed an executive order on establishing diplomatic relations at the level of a Russian Federation Embassy in the Vatican.

The discussion focused on prospects for humanitarian, social, scientific, educational and cultural cooperation. Besides, the parties reviewed opportunities for promoting dialogue among confessions.