Russian president visits Vatican

VATICAN CITY, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has made his first official visit to the Vatican and met with Pope Benedict XVI, officials said.

In the meeting, the pope and the Russian leader were expected to consider a dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

A possibility of a meeting between the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and the pope appears "more realistic" than it did several years ago, a Russian diplomatic spokesman said.

However, he did not say when or where such a meeting might take place.

The Russian delegation and the Vatican were expected to discuss bilateral and religious ties, global affairs and cooperation through various international organizations.

Pope Benedict has not visited post-communist Russia nor did his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, RIA Novosti said.