The King of Spain, Felipe VI received the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Matthew Festing, during his official visit to Spain.

In Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, on the afternoon of 10 December the king and grand master confirmed the ancient bonds of friendship between the Order of Malta and Spain. Their talks focussed on the international situation, the Order’s charitable work in Spain, its commitment in the refugee crisis and shared projects in Central and South America.

Also present at the meeting were the Order of Malta’s Grand Chancellor, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Fernando Eguidazu Palacios, the Ambassador of Spain to the Holy See and the Order of Malta, Eduardo Gutiérrez Sáenz de Buruaga, and the Order of Malta’s Ambassador to Spain, Jean-Marie Musy.