Pashinyan Meets Pope in Vatican
While on a working visit to the Vatican, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a private conversation with Pope Francis on Monday.
Pashinyan briefed Pope Francis on the latest developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, reaffirmed the commitment of the Armenian government to the peace agenda, and stressed that Armenia is determined to contribute to peace, according to a press statement from the prime minister’s office.
Pashinyan also thanked the pope for his and the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to press Azerbaijani authorities to release Armenian captives being held in Baku.
He also emphasized Armenia’s complete support to the Holy See in advancing the peace agenda on international platforms, as well as working and acting jointly in this regard.
“The ongoing mutual visits at the highest level prove the special interstate relations between Armenia and the Holy See,” Pashinyan said, according to the press statement from his office.
The prime minister also noted that the “appointment of the resident Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Armenia will be a significant progress in friendly relations.”
The Vatican News, the Holy See’s official news outlet, reported that gifts were exchanges during the meeting.
The outlet reported that Pashinyan presented a copy of the “Book of Lamentations” by Grigor Narekatsi to the Pope, while “Francis presented a sculpture depicting St. Francis and next to an image of a world threatened by pollution,” Vatican News said in a social media post.
