Armenian President Visits Benedict XVI

The president was accompanied by Edward Nalbadian, his foreign minister. They went on to meet with the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, under secretary for Relations with States.

A Vatican communiqué reported the discussion on the "good relations" between the two states. 

"The parties exchanged views on the role that the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church play in society, and the contribution they both make to the common good," the statement added. "Attention also turned to the importance of the country's Christian heritage, and of the commitment to educating the new generations in fundamental values."

Some 95% of the population is part of the Orthodox Armenian Apostolic Church.