Para prezydencka w Watykanie. Andrzej Duda odbył półgodzinną rozmowę z papieżem Franciszkiem

Źródło: Kancelaria Prezydenta

Pope Francis on Friday (April 1) met Polish President Andrzej Duda, accompanied by First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, for private talks.

According to a statement from the Holy See, the talks were focussed on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and on security and peace in Europe.

They spoke primarily on the situation of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons, and their humanitarian assistance.

"I've described the Holy Father the situation in our country with regard to the migant crisis, which is a result of Russian aggression on Ukraine. I've told the Holy Father how we welcome refugees, whom we call our guests from Ukraine, because they are our neighbours who have found themselves in a very difficult situation, who are running from war, from death, from Russian bombs which are falling ontheir homes, and whom we try to help with all our might and as much as it's possible," president Duda told reporters after the meeting.

He also announced that he had invited Pope Francis to Poland. "Once again I said that we always await the Holy Father with open arms," he added.

Poland has received around half of the approximately 4 million people who have fled Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. The country already had the EU's largest Ukrainian community.

Since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24 the fighting has displaced more than 10 million people and forced nearly 4 million to flee Ukraine in Europe's biggest refugee crisis since the end of World War Two, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Poland announced plans on Wednesday (March 30) to slap an embargo on Russian coal imports by May and stop using Russian oil by the end of 2022, as Warsaw moves to cut economic ties with Moscow.