Pope Leo III and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the situation of Catholics and stability in the South Caucasus

A meeting between Pope Leo and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was held in the Vatican on October 20, 2025. The key topics of the talks were the situation of Catholics in the republic and issues of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region. The audience took place against the backdrop of the escalating situation around the Armenian Apostolic Church and its Primate, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

According to Vatican News, the Pontiff held a personal audience for the Armenian Prime Minister. This was followed by extended talks at the Vatican Secretariat of State, where Nikol Pashinyan met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the meetings, the sides highly appreciated the good and constructive relations between Armenia and the Vatican. Special attention was paid to the discussion of the situation of the Catholic community in Armenia, and the critical importance of maintaining peace and stability in the difficult region of the South Caucasus was emphasized.

Earlier, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II met with Pope Leo XIV and invited the Pontiff to visit Armenia. During the meeting, which was the first since the election of the new head of the Catholic Church on May 8 this year, the sides discussed church issues, including the fate of Artsakh Armenians, and reaffirmed the need for a just peace.