President Pellegrini to Receive Grand Master of Order of Malta on Tuesday

Bratislava, 17 April (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini is due to welcome Fra' John Timothy Dunlap, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta at the Presidential Palace during an official visit on Tuesday (21 April), TASR was told by the President's Office's communications department on Friday. The visit follows an invitation extended by the head of state during their meeting in Rome in December 2025. "The Grand Master's visit is an opportunity to reaffirm Slovakia's interest in developing cooperation in the areas of health care, social care and humanitarian aid, as well as to emphasise the importance of the values of solidarity, human dignity and service to the most vulnerable at a time of growing global challenges," stated the communications department. Pellegrini and the Grand Master will discuss current challenges in the areas of civilian protection, humanitarian aid and health care, as well as the further development of bilateral cooperation between Slovakia and the Order of Malta. They'll focus on the Order's activities in Slovakia, in particular in the areas of social services and support for marginalised communities. "The talks will take place against the backdrop of the current international situation, marked by ongoing conflicts in Europe's immediate vicinity as well as escalating tensions in the Middle East and their serious humanitarian consequences," stated the President's Office, adding that the Sovereign Order of Malta is one of the oldest humanitarian organisations in the world. The President's Office noted that this is an exceptionally significant visit, only the second official visit by a Grand Master to the independent Slovakia. The first took place in 1997, when Grand Master Fra' Andrew Bertie was received by then president Michal Kovac. am/df