On July 10, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt (residence in Tbilisi) handed over the copy of his credentials to the Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

Congratulating the newly appointed Nuncio, Foreign Minister wished to Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt all the success in his important mission. Foreign Minister underlined that Armenia and the Holy See have an extensive agenda, a dynamic and consistent dialogue both in bilateral and international formats, and Armenia is determined to continue the joint steps towards deepening this cooperation.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See expressed his readiness to undertake during his tenure steps aimed at further development of bilateral relations based on mutual respect and friendship.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and José Avelino Bettencourt  touched upon a number of issues of the bilateral agenda. The interlocutors agreed that intercultural cooperation is an important component of bilateral relations and exchanged views on the possibilities of implementing joint programmes in this regard.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See highlighted the importance of organizing high-level reciprocal visits, noting that they provide a good opportunity to give a new impetus to bilateral relations.