18:05,

YEREVAN, 12 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the President’s Office, Vahagn Khachaturyan highly appreciated Pietro Parolin's personal contribution to the development of relations between Armenia and the Holy See. The President noted that His Majesty's blessing and support during this difficult period for our people is really necessary and appreciated.

"We also highly appreciate the relations between the Holy See and Armenia, which have a long history and are developing upward. These relations are based on such values as Christian values, peace, justice, human rights.

We are committed to achieving peace, and we are on that path. I would like to once again thank the Holy See and the Pope for their efforts, exhortations and prayers aimed at establishing lasting peace in our region.

Of course, high-level political meetings are of great importance in the development of our relations, and the numerous mutual visits have led to the establishment of a high-level dialogue. I am sure that your visit will also contribute to the deepening of our relations," the President said in his welcoming speech.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin thanked the President of Armenia for his hospitality and kind words.

"It is a great honor for me to be in Armenia. My two-day visit started this morning with a visit to Tsitsernakaberd, honoring the memory of the victims. I was able to deepen (of course, I was well aware beforehand) the historical information related to the tragedy that befell the Armenian people.

I would also like to emphasize the excellent relations that exist between the Republic of Armenia and the Holy See. You rightly noticed that there are many mutual visits, and this is a sign that there are good relations, as well as efforts to deepen and develop them," said the Secretary of State of the Holy See.

At the meeting, the sides referred to the blocking of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan for more than 7 months. President Khachaturyan noted that the actual isolation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, which is accompanied by the blocking of gas, electricity and telecommunications.

The Secretary of State of the Holy See emphasized the need to ensure peace and stability in the region, as well as to create an atmosphere of trust between the parties. In this context, the interlocutors emphasized the importance of ensuring the continuity of negotiations, as a result of which it will be possible to achieve peace. Both sides emphasized the need for guarantees for the protection of the rights of Nagorno Karabakh Armenians.