Pope Francis met the Iranian president on Tuesday, joining in discussions touching on the nuclear accord and Iran's role in the region. Before these discussions, the two men met privately for forty minutes. The Vatican described the talks as ‘cordial’, with good Iranian-Vatican relations. After the meeting President Rouhani asked the Pope to pray for him. The Vatican meeting was a key part of an Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after a nuclear deal with Western powers. The Vatican said that Iran was also urged to help fight arms trafficking. Rouhani's visit to the Holy See saw the first meeting between a pope and an Iranian president since 1999. He is on a four-day European visit to boost Iran's image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before sanctions.