Pope Francis attends welcome ceremony during his first Mongolia visit

Pope Francis is honoured with an official welcome ceremony that included a force of Mongolian horsemen in metal armour parading past the State Palace on the first papal visit to Mongolia, the Asian nation sandwiched between China and Russia.

Welcomed by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, Pope called himself a "pilgrim of friendship" and extolled the virtues of the country, including its "ranchers and planters respectful of the delicate balances of the ecosystem". It is the first visit of the Head of the Holy See to Mongolia and his 43rd Apostolic Journey.