SW News: The Holy See has opened a new Nunciature office in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The new office was opened on Wednesday, October 27, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Armenia. However, the new office does not replace the Apostolic Nunciature in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. The solemn event was attended by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State.

With the inauguration of the new office in Yerevan, the Vatican has developed stronger ties with the country. It was on May 24, 1992, that diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Armenia were established following the apostolic letter, 'Armeniam Nationem' by Pope Saint John Paul II.

The ties between Rome and Armenia date back to the apostolic times. Over the centuries, the relationship flourished. Official diplomatic ties were established after Armenia gained independence from Soviet rule. Monsignor Jean-Paul Aimé Gobel was the first apostolic nuncio of Armenia and he served from 1993 to 1997. The present apostolic nuncio of Armenia is Archbishop José A. Bettencourt, a Portuguese-Canadian prelate.

The Holy See maintains ties with Armenia through the apostolates of several religious orders such as the Mechitarist Congregation, the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the clergy of the Ordinariate for Catholics of the Armenian rite in Eastern Europe, the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa in Spitak and Yerevan, the Camillian Fathers of the "Redemptoris Mater" hospital in Ashotzk as well as the local branch of Caritas Internationalis.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, made an apostolic visit to Armenia from June 24-26 in 2016. During his interaction with the country's civil authorities and members of the diplomatic corps, the pontiff mentioned the Metz Yeghern (The Great Evil), referring to the Armenian genocide during First World War.