The situation in the country and in Nagorno Karabakh and the prospects for peace, as well as the Order of Malta’s health and humanitarian programmes in Armenia, were the focus of the talks that Riccardo Paterno di Montecupo had this morning with the Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paruyr Hovhannisyan.

At the Magistral Palace, the Grand Chancellor reiterated the Order of Malta’s determination to increase humanitarian efforts in the country. Numerous health and social care projects have been implemented through ambassador Domenico Arduini in cooperation with Armenian authorities, ranging from cooperation programmes in the prenatal medicine, maternal and neonatal nutrition fields, to neonatal and paediatric cardiology, cultural education and training projects.

Deputy Minister Hovhannisyan reaffirmed the Armenian authorities’ gratitude for the quality of relations and for the health and social care programmes that for many years the Order of Malta has been developing in the country. The Deputy Minister also stressed the need to protect the cultural heritage of the world’s first Christian nation.

The Grand Chancellor expressed the hope that peace talks with Azerbaijan could continue in view of the European Union’s civil mission in Nagorno-Karabakh. The hope is that a lasting peace can be achieved after over 30 years of conflict.