On April 27, 2014, on behalf of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Deshchytsia participated in a ceremony of canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.

The Ukraine’s delegation also comprised of Minister of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Ostap Semerak and Ambassador of Ukraine in Vatican Tetyana Izhevska.

The ceremony was led by Pope Francis assisted by Pope Benedict XVI, 150 cardinals and 700 bishops among which were the Patriarch of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) and President of Conference of Rome Catholic Bishops of Ukraine Mieczysław Mokrzycki.

The event that was taking place in St. Peter’s Square was attended by delegations from almost 100 states, heads of leading international organizations and institutions, church leaders and hierarchs of various faiths, and over a million of pilgrims from all over the world.

In the framework of the ceremony Andrii Deshchytsia exchanges with congratulations with Pope Francis, had talks with the President of Poland B. Komorowski, Prime Minister of Poland D. Tusk, Secretary of State (head of government) of Vatican P. Parolin, he also met with President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Commission Jose M. Barroso, President of Lithuania D. Grybauskaite.