MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and concurrently to the Holy See Sergei Aleinik visited the Vatican on 8-12 January 2020, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On 9 January 2020 the Belarusian ambassador took part in the annual audience of Pope Francis to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See for the New Year greetings. On the margins of the event, Ambassador Sergei Aleinik had a brief conversation with the Pontiff and conveyed to him Christmas and New Year greetings from the Belarusian leadership.
During the visit, the Belarusian ambassador also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The parties discussed the topical issues of Belarusian-Vatican relations, hailed the interaction in international organizations, and exchanged views on the situation in the region.
Ambassador Sergei Aleinik held a number of meetings with other official representatives of the Vatican.