On October 25, the "Peace to Armenia" Holy Liturgy dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Holy See was held at the Holy See's State Secretary (Prime Minister) Pietro Parolin in the Papal Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore.

RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech at the ceremony, in which he said, in particular:

"Your Eminence Cardinal Parolin,

We are deeply moved by your decision to preside over the Holy Liturgy and celebrate the 30th anniversary of fraternal relations between Yerevan and the Vatican. Thank you for your inspiring words and wishes addressed to us on this momentous occasion.

Your Grace,

Spiritual Fathers and Sisters,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for being here to pray together before the majestic icon of the Virgin Mary for peace in Armenia.

Despite the many challenges and disasters caused by the conflicts and especially the recent reprehensible use of force by a neighboring country, our country has never lost its faith in the highest goals of humanity and solidarity.

The Armenian people and the government highly appreciate His Holiness' blessing to strengthen our relations. Pope Francis calls for peace and messages of solidarity during and after the 44-day war of 2020 and following the latest aggression unleashed against the Armenian people.

The history of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Holy See for almost three decades is distinguished by high-level political dialogue, constantly developing and deepening thanks to mutual efforts. During this period, many important events occurred, demonstrating the level of interaction from centuries and current interstate relations.

Among others, the Holy Mass marking the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide celebrated by Pope Francis in April 2015, which was witnessed by the whole world, as well as the historical impressions of the visit of His Holiness the High Priest to Armenia in June 2016 will remain forever in our memories and hearts. We are very proud that St. Grigor Narekatsi, a child of the Armenian people and a genius of medieval thought, is one of the 36 greatest thinkers who received the title of "Teacher of the Universal Church," whom Pope Francis also called a teacher of peace.

And here, cardinal, today's ceremony chaired by the state secretary is another vivid manifestation of the Holy See's strong friendship with Armenia. This country adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301.

I should also mention that the centuries-old history of interaction between the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches is a valuable stimulus for developing our current interstate relations. We highly value the continuous inter-church dialogue, and I am happy in the presence of the Armenian Patriarch Raphael Petros Minassian of the Catholic House of Cilicia, representatives of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches, the Mkhitaryan Armenians and the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. We are grateful for your support and dedicated efforts.

your majesty

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This milestone year provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate our achievements and reaffirm our shared values. We sincerely wish that the Armenia-Holy See fraternal path and comprehensive dialogue anchored in mutual respect and trust continue to last and support us all to build a world of justice and peace.

Thank you."