The conditions for opening the Nunciature in Montenegro will soon be met, announced Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, stating that he expects these conditions to be met by the end of July.
Spajić met with Pope Leo XVI at the Vatican, as well as with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Richard Gallagher.
"In a pleasant conversation, the parties expressed satisfaction with the excellent bilateral relations," Spajić's office announced.
As stated, the meeting also discussed cooperation between the executive branch in Montenegro and religious communities, and some of the topics included regional relations in the Western Balkans, as well as the war in Ukraine.
After the meeting, Spajić said that the cordial conversation with Pope Leo XIV, which lasted many times longer than planned, confirmed the excellent relations between Montenegro and the Holy See, which have deep historical roots and a tradition of mutual respect since the 19th century, when Prince Nikola signed the first Concordat.
"As a great honor for our country - we conveyed the message that we expect all conditions for opening the Nunciature in our country to be met by the end of July," Spajić emphasized.
It is reported that the first audience of a Montenegrin official with the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, elected on May 8, was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, Head of the Prime Minister's Office Branko Krvavac, and Chargé d'Affaires of the Montenegrin Embassy to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Milica Petrović.
Vatican News also writes that Spajić spoke with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
The media outlet also reports that Spajić also spoke with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.
It is stated that during cordial talks at the State Secretariat, the parties expressed satisfaction with the current good bilateral relations, and that various issues related to Church-state relations were also discussed.
The meeting also discussed various regional and international issues, with particular attention paid to the expansion of the European Union to the Western Balkan countries and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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