On October 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Armenia José Avelino Bettencourt on the occasion of the end of his diplomatic mission in Armenia.

Noting that the mission of the Nuncio of the Holy See to Armenia coincided with a difficult period for Armenia and the Armenian people, Minister Mirzoyan appreciated his contribution and efforts in deepening and developing bilateral relations and wished him success in his future activities.

Emphasizing that his mission in the country that was the first to adopt Christianity as the state religion was special for him, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See expressed gratitude for the effective cooperation and efforts aimed at strengthening ties. He handed over to Minister Mirzoyan the Papal Order of St. Gregory the Great.

The interlocutors discussed various issues of cooperation between Armenia and the Holy See, commending the recent high-level bilateral visits, in particular, the visit of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to the Vatican in 2022 and the visit of the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See Pietro Parolin to Yerevan in 2023.

Touching upon the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenians, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the forcible displacement of more than 100 thousand Armenians was preceded by the Azerbaijani military attack on September 19 and around 10 months-long blockade. In this context, the Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized that despite the appeals and statements of the international community, including the Holy See, it was actually not possible to deter Azerbaijan's planned policy of depriving the people of Nagorno-Karabakh from their homeland.

The imperative of active involvement and actions by international actors for addressing the ongoing humanitarian problems, the rights of displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the establishment of peace in the region was stressed.

Acquaintance. The Papal Order of St. Gregory the Great was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831 and it is awarded for service to the Holy See and the Church, faithful and exemplary work, and services to society․