Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, during a joint press conference with visiting Vatican Deputy Secretary of State Edgar Peña Parra, announced that the Vatican will open the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Armenia.

“I am pleased to emphasize that this opens a new page in the history of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Holy See,” Mirzoyan said, adding that the Holy See has always stood by Armenia in difficult times.

The Vatican's diplomatic mission was opened soon after the press conference.

Mirzoyan noted the Vatican’s call for the immediate release of Armenian POWs held by Azerbaijan and the Holy See’s condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

“We also stress the importance of the inclusion of a memorial day marking St. Grigor Narekatsi, the great son of the Armenian people, in the main Roman calendar, which once again emphasizes the close connection between the Holy See and Armenia,” Mirzoyan said according to a statement released by his office.