Pope Francis has arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday at the start of a three-day trip to attend a peace meeting of world religious leaders.
The plane carrying the 85-year-old pope landed in the capital of the Central Asian republic after a six-hour flight from Rome.
He was welcome
The Pope’s first official visit is a courtesy visit to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, before meeting with the country’s authorities, civil servants, and diplomatic corps.
Pope Francis visits the Central Asian nation mainly to attend the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
He takes part in the opening session of the Congress on Tuesday morning, and will greet its participants who hail from around 100 nations.
The Pope’s presence will lift the profile of this 7th interreligious congress, according to Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace.
Vatican news