Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister Rumiana Jeleva paid a one-day visit to the Vatican on Wednesday, the foreign ministry announced.

Jeleva attended the General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI, after which she had a brief meeting with him. The Pope congratulated Jeleva for her nomination as a European Commissioner and wished her success.

Within the framework of the visit, Jeleva also conferred with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States.

The two sides discussed the operations of the European Union in the framework of the Lisbon Treaty and the common foreign policy of the union.

Minister Jeleva extended an invitation for a visit to Bulgaria to Mamberti. The two first diplomats also discussed the possibility of Pope Benedict XVI visiting Bulgaria in 2012 to mark the tenth anniversary since the visit of Pope John Paul II.

This is the first ever visit of a Bulgarian foreign minister to the Vatican except for the traditional visits of Bulgarian delegations during the celebrations on May 24, the Day of the Slavic Script and Bulgarian Culture, also known as the day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, the statement from the ministry said.

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