Pope Francis admits President’s invitation to visit Armenia in April 2015

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19,ARMENPRESS: Within the framework of his official visit to the Holy See (Vatican), PresidentSerzhSargsyanhada private conversation with Pope Francisof Rome.

Department for Mass Media and Public Relations of the Armenian President’s Office informedArmenpressthat the President and His Holiness spoke of the high-level relations established between Armenia and Vatican, stressing that those solid relations stem from the same Christean value system and ideology.

The interlocutors attached importance to top level mutual visits and contacts that have become of frequent nature in the recent years and which display the mutual readiness to keep the bilateral relations in the focus of attention. SerzhSargsyanand His Holiness also referred to the close cooperation established between the Mother See of HolyEchmiadzinand the Catholic Church.

During the meeting the President officially invited His Holiness to visit Armenia. The Pope admitted the invitation with love, assuring that it is the wish of his heart to visit Armenia.

Subsequently the President of Armenia met withCardinal PietroParolin. The interlocutors discussed the current Armenian-Vatican relations and development prospects. They expressed gratification that those relations are developing intensively recently.

They also touched upon theKarabakhconflict issue.SerzhSargsyanexpressed gratitude to Cardinal PietroParolinfor the balanced position of the Holy See on theNagornoKarabakhconflict.