Visit to Vatican 2011-02-17 15:00:00 Vatican Dmitry Medvedev met with Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone. This was the first official visit of a Russian leader to the Vatican since establishment of full-format diplomatic relations. Following his brief working visit to the Vatican on December 3, 2009, Dmitry Medvedev signed an executive order on establishing diplomatic relations at the level of a Russian Federation Embassy in the Vatican. The discussion focused on prospects for humanitarian, social, scientific, educational and cultural cooperation. Besides, the parties reviewed opportunities for promoting dialogue among confessions.