Pope Francis highlighted Hungary's
efforts to protect refugees arriving from Ukraine during a
40-minute audience with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on
Thursday, the Vatican press office said.
The Argentine pontiff gave Orban a medallion depicting St Martin
during the closed-doors meeting inside the Vatican.
"God bless you, your family and Hungary," Francis said in
English at the end the meeting.
For his part, Orban invited the pope to visit Hungary, saying
"we're waiting for you".
In the past the pope had been critical of the type of hard line
policies Orban has adopted with refugees and migrants from other
parts of the world, calling for asylum seekers to be received
with open arms.
In September Francis paid flying visit of a few hours to
Budapest for the concluding Mass of the 52nd International
Eucharistic Congress while on the way to three-day trip to
Slovakia.
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