Egyptian leader meets pope, Italian premier
Pope Francis and the Egyptian president exchanged warm greetings during a private meeting Monday in which the pontiff emphasized Egypt's role in establishing peace in the Middle East.
Francis and Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi met for about 20 minutes at the Vatican on el-Sissi's first visit to Europe since taking office in June. Francis shook el-Sissi's hands, declaring his happiness at meeting the Egyptian leader, while el-Sissi expressed through a translator his pleasure at meeting "the great man that you are."
The two men also exchanged gifts: A papal medallion and a papal document "The Joy of the Gospel" for el-Sissi and an inlaid silver box with a mirrored lid for Francis.
The Vatican said the meeting focused on the need for dialogue to bring an end to the conflicts in the region as well as promote peaceful co-existence, religious freedom and inter-religious dialogue.
