Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church received papal nuncio Bishop Paolo Porzia, reports the Catholicosate of Great House of Cilicia.

The Lebanese presidential elections, relations between the Great House of Cilicia and the Vatican, as well as some other inter-church matters were discussed at the meeting that lasted more than an hour.

Also, Aram I briefed the papal nuncio on the current situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which has been under a blockade by Azerbaijan for more than eight months now.

The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia recalled that the Armenian Church and the Armenian nation have always been grateful to Pope Francis on the issue of Armenia and Artsakh, and in general for the supporting positions and statements of the Vatican.

"We know that the Pope had expressed his concern about the blockade of Artsakh and emphasized the urgent imperative to end it with all possible efforts," Aram I said. "It is the warm expectation of our nation that the Vatican will continue to express its support to Artsakh in various ways, especially in international frameworks."