Polish president to talk Ukraine with Pope Francis on Italy visit

Poland’s president will discuss the war in Ukraine with Pope Francis during a two-day visit to Italy that begins on Thursday. 

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda (left) and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda (right) meet with Pope Francis (centre) during a private audience at the Vatican on Sept. 25, 2020.

Photo: KPRP

Andrzej Duda is set to make the trip accompanied by First Lady Agata Kornhauser Duda, the state PAP news agency reported.

The Polish president will meet with Pope Francis on Friday for a private talk before having an audience with the Vatican leader alongside the first lady, according to officials.

Duda is also scheduled to meet with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, reporters were told.

The president’s trip to the Vatican will focus “on the situation surrounding the war in Ukraine and Poland’s role in providing aid,” according to a senior Duda aide, Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych.

💬 W czwartek po południu i piątek Prezydent @AndrzejDuda z Małżonką będą przebywali z wizytą we Włoszech. Zaplanowana jest audiencja i rozmowa z Papieżem Franciszkiem, która będzie dotyczyła https://t.co/g093fyZ106. sytuacji związanej z konfliktem w Ukrainie | @PAPinformacje 1/3 pic.twitter.com/vwQOyzd9Zt

— Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych (@GIBandych) March 31, 2022

The Polish head of state is set “to outline the multifaceted help extended to Ukrainians by the Polish people, the government and charities,” as well as “discuss the challenges we face as a result of this crisis,” Ignaczak-Bandych told reporters.

Also on Friday, Duda will hold talks with Gilbert F. Houngbo, head of the Rome-based United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.

The pair will explore “the potential impact of the war in Ukraine on the availability and prices of food,” according to the Polish presidential office.

‘Coalition of women' in support of Ukrainian refugees

Meanwhile, the Polish first lady is set to hold a series of meetings, starting with a visit to the Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital in Rome. The facility is providing treatment for young cancer patients evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, Ignaczak-Bandych said.

Later, Kornhauser-Duda will be hosted by the daughter of the Italian president, Laura Mattarella. The meeting is part of the Polish first lady’s drive “to build a coalition of women in support of people fleeing the war, especially unwell children and people with disabilities,” Ignaczak-Bandych added.

💬 Pierwsza Dama Agata Kornhauser–Duda będzie realizować program odrębny. Odwiedzi Szpital pediatryczny Dzieciątka Jezus w Rzymie, gdzie są leczone dzieci chore onkologicznie z Ukrainy. Następnie uda się na spotkanie z córką Prezydenta Włoch, Laurą Mattarellą | @PAPinformacje 2/3

— Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych (@GIBandych) March 31, 2022

Thursday is day 36 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Poland on Thursday reported it had welcomed 2.39 million refugees fleeing Russia's war on Ukraine.

The Polish president this month signed into law a measure to offer wide-ranging support to Ukrainians escaping the Russian invasion of their country, which began on February 24.

The measure grants them legal residence in Poland and ensures access to education, healthcare and social benefits.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, prezydent.pl