The Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Riccardo Paternò di Monteucpo, received on Thursday 5 September the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of El Salvador, Alexandra Hill Tinoco. The Grand Chancellor warmly welcomed Minister Hill Tinoco, recognizing her previous visits and expressing continued support for El Salvador, with whom the Order of Malta has long standing diplomatic relations, established in 1950.
The meeting highlighted the strong relationship between El Salvador and the Order of Malta, testified also by the many high-level visits over the past 50 years.

The El Salvador Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude on behalf of President Nayib Bukele for the Order’s long-standing humanitarian work in the country. She emphasized the deep transformations occurring in El Salvador, focusing on security improvements, economic growth, and increased investments.

The Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo reaffirmed the Order’s commitment to expanding its efforts in El Salvador, particularly in health services. He introduced the Order of Malta Donors for Projects Foundation (OMDP) and discussed plans to renovate the Order’s clinics.
Minister Hill Tinoco invited the Order to engage with the Ministry of Health of El Salvador to work jointly on the involvement of the Order’s clinics in the national healthcare system.

Minister Hill Tinoco extended an invitation to the Grand Chancellor to visit El Salvador, potentially during the inauguration of the new health sector collaboration.

The Sovereign Order of Malta has been providing health and humanitarian services in El Salvador for over 50 years. Through its Health Programme, several clinics were established between 1975 and 1995, offering free primary healthcare, dental services, laboratory testing, and physiotherapy. The Order is expanding its services to include maternal and neonatal care.

Since 2012, the Order has benefited from numerous partnerships and donations, including medical staff training from the Spanish University of Elche, disaster relief support from the Ministry of Defense, and various international aid efforts. Five clinics remain operational, providing services to underserved communities, having conducted over 5 million medical interventions.

The Order remains committed to expanding its humanitarian impact in El Salvador, working alongside local and international partners to improve the health and wellbeing of the population.