YEREVAN. - The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday.

The President welcomed the Cardinal and stressed the effective cooperation between Armenia and Vatican as well between the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Mother See of Vatican. Serzh Sargsyan extended his warmest greetings to Pope Benedict XVI. President Sargsyan mentioned that the Armenian population highly appreciates the role of Mother See of Vatican in spreading the Christianity all over the world. In addition, the Cardinal conveyed the warm greetings of Pope Benedict XVI to the President and the Armenian people.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church stressed that the Mother See of Vatican is delighted with the history of Armenia who was the first state to adopt Christianity as an official religion.