Pope Francis expresses hopes that Korea talks leads to 'a peaceful future'

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Pope Francis has expressed his hopes that talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un lead to peace.

Speaking during his Sunday address the pontiff said he was praying for the “development of a positive path”.

Mr Trump is set to meet Mr Kim in Singapore at a historic summit between the nations.

It will be the first meeting between a leader of North Korea and a sitting US president since the end of the Korean war in 1953.

The pope said he offered a “special thought of friendship and prayer” to the Korean people.

He added: “[I hope] the talks which will take place in the coming days in Singapore can contribute to the development of a positive path that guarantees a peaceful future for the Korean peninsula and for the whole world.”

The comments come only a day after the pope old senior oil company executives that the world must convert to renewable alternatives to prevent humanity being destroyed by climate change.

Speaking to the high-profile group at the end of a two day conference at the Vatican, the pontiff warned: “Civilisation requires energy but energy use must not destroy civilisation.”

He said climate change was a challenge of “epochal proportions”, adding that the world needed to find an energy solution that combated pollution, eliminated poverty and promoted social justice.

“If we are to eliminate poverty and hunger, the more than one billion people without electricity today need to gain access to it,” he said. “But that energy should also be clean, by a reduction in the systematic use of fossil fuels.