Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis on Friday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy.

Visuals from the session showed PM Modi sharing a hug with Pope Francis.

“Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serving people and making our planet better. Also invited him to visit India. @Pontifex,” the prime minister posted on the social platform X.

Modi previously met Pope Francis in 2021 at the Vatican, where they discussed a wide range of issues, including the Covid-19 outbreak.

Modi was the first prime minister to meet the incumbent pontiff, who became the head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

The pope later addressed the session on the promises and perils of Artificial Intelligence and is also expected to make a plea for peace across global conflict zones.