AKIPRESS.COM - 86-year-old Pope Francis became the first pope in history to set foot on Mongolian soil on Friday (local time), Reuters and other media reported. This is the first visit by a pope in the 2,000-year history of Christianity to Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist country where Catholics make up only about 1% (about 1,450 people) of the population.

Francis also praised Mongolia for its religious tolerance and nuclear-free policy during his first speech in the capital, but warned that corruption was "the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countries".

Many see China as the ultimate goal of the Pope's visit to the country, using Mongolia, which is socially and economically dependent on China, as a springboard to try to improve relations with China. China, which is estimated to have up to 12 million Catholics, has no official diplomatic relations with the Vatican.