The President of the Slovak Republic, Andrej Kiska, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.
The meeting took place on the 25th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Slovakia. The pair had a wide-ranging discussion about relations between the two states; conflict in the Middle East; and human dignity.
As is customary, they exchanged gifts. Kiska gave Pope Francis a book with pictures of Slovakia. In turn, he received an Angel of Peace medal and a copy of 'Evangelii Gaudium.â?
It is a small nation with just under five million people, and 62 percent of them are Catholic. Pope John Paul II visited Slovakia three times. He first went in 1990, when it was still Czechoslovakia.
Kiska, who is Catholic, was elected president in 2014. He is married with four children.
'Thank you for your visit and for your testimony.'
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