Rome, Italy - President Enrique Peña Nieto greeted Pope Francis on behalf of the people of Mexico during the inauguration of his papacy on Tuesday and invited him to visit Mexico as soon as convenient.

In a media statement, the president said that for Mexicans, and especially for those who profess the Catholic religion, "It is encouraging and significant that the Pope might eventually accept an invitation to visit our country. Particularly when we are constructing a new spirit, a renewed spirit among the Mexican people, to move forward and achieve better living conditions."

The president stated that Pope Francis was grateful for Mexico’s presence. "I had brief, warm, friendly encounter with him, and I think I conveyed Mexico’s respect for the Pope, the Head of the Vatican State, with whom Mexico has a respectful, institutional, and diplomatic relationship," he declared.

President Peña Nieto said that there are great similarities between the postulates of Pope Francis "and what the government is working on, which is "attention to those most in need, the poorest and children."

He stressed the need to "achieve a peaceful Mexico, an inclusive Mexico, a Mexico removed from poverty and marginalization, and to strengthen the capacity of institutions and the Mexican state to provide greater attention to those most in need."

This is one of the challenges and one of the five major objectives of my Government, and we celebrate the postulates the Pope has said he will have in his papacy," he added.

The president announced that during this trip, he had the opportunity to hold brief meetings with the leaders of Brazil, Chile, Poland, Bulgaria, Panama, and Spain, as well as Vice President of the United States, Joseph Biden, and representatives of the Cuban government, with whom he discussed various topics. Most of them invited the president to visit their respective countries.