Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said after the meeting the pope hoped to visit Serbia. The pope and the Serbian president also discussed the situation in Kosovo and the presence of Christians in that area, Navarro-Valls said.
Kosovo should remain an integral part of Serbia, said Tadic, who presented the pope with a book on the history of the Serbian people, saying that ethnic communities in Kosovo should live in coexistence and that the Serb community should be guaranteed security.
Tadic said he would discuss the pope's possible visit to Serbia with the leader of the Serb Orthodox Church and voiced hope the pontiff would visit Serbia as soon as possible.
The Serbian president also held talks with the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.