On November 20, 2015, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Ukrainian delegation, which included the Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Yurii Stets had official visit to the Vatican City State.
The visit began with a ceremony of official meeting of the President of Ukraine with his wife and Ukrainian delegation on San Damaso Square before the Pope’s Palace. The ceremony was attended by the Swiss Guard led by the commander of the guards of the Pope and the honored noblemen. Following the ceremony there was a meeting with the Pope Francis.
Once returned from a business trip, Yurii Stets commented that the meeting in the Vatican confirmed the interest about Ukraine and Ukrainian people.
“It was important for Ukraine during these difficult times to hear the words of support from the representatives of the Vatican City State. It was even more important for me, as a Roman Catholic, that the Vatican supports our country with a prayer”, the Minister commented.
Yurii Stets also noted that by expressing its support for Ukraine the Vatican seeks to help bringing peace on Ukrainian land.
It worth noting that following the meeting results the President invited the Pope Francis to visit Ukraine and the invitation was accepted.
Note that during the official visit to Italy and Vatican the head of state was accompanied by his wife Maryna Poroshenko, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Gennadii Zubko, Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Yurii Stets, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Republic of Italy Yevgen Perelygin and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See Tatyana Izhevska.