Opinions & Interviews

Sergeyenko: Pope Francis made significant efforts to unite nations

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MINSK, 25 April (BelTA) – Pope Francis worked hard to unite nations and bring the principles of peace to life, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Igor Sergeyenko said, BelTA has learned.

Following the instruction of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Belarusian delegation led by Igor Sergeyenko arrived in Vatican to attend Pope Francis’ funeral. The delegation also included the ambassador to the Holy See and the charge d'affaires in Italy.

"There are values that transcend any politics or economy: peace, justice, truth, and kindness. There are individuals who guide their lives and actions by these principles. Rarely, there are states that base their policies and economies on these principles. Belarus is one such state. It is represented by our delegation at this solemn event," Igor Sergeyenko  said. "On the instruction of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, we have arrived [in Vatican] to honor the memory of Pope Francis. He was a great man who lived by these principles and did much to unite nations, bring the principles of peaceful policy to life and reduce the number of conflicts and wars."

He devoted his life to serving people and God, working across various continents and interacting with different people and politicians, the speaker emphasized. "In 2016, the Belarusian president met with Pope Francis. This meeting, to some extent, influenced the development of relations between our country and the Vatican. Nowadays, we are discussing the imminent opening of our diplomatic mission in Vatican. This also speaks volumes about the progress made in diplomatic relations since 1992," he added.

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