The Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta Jean-Pierre Mazery received the Romanian Minister of Foreign, Titus Corlăţean, on 28 January. During their meeting, conducted on amicale terms, the Romanian minister expressed his appreciation for the medical and humanitarian activities that the Order of Malta carries out in his country, and especially the projects for the disabled and the elderly.

Minister Corlăţean also confirmed his ministry’s readiness  to extend the cooperation already existing between Romania and the Sovereign Order of Malta.  Within this framework, interest was also expressed in the Order’s appointment of an ambassador at large for the Roma community, particularly numerous in Romania.

The Sovereign Order of Malta stressed its desire to continue its healthcare and humanitarian projects for the Romanian population.

In conclusion,  topics of international scope were discussed, such as the situation in the Middle East and the importance of inter-religious dialogue.

The Order of Malta  in Romania

During the period immediately after the fall of the iron curtain the Order of  Malta created a volunteer corps, Serviciul de Ajutor Maltez în România (SAMR), to help the Romanian population.  This corps now numbers  1200 volunteers and 61 employees and works in 26 different centres nationwide. Healthcare, support for children and young people in difficulty, for the homeless and elderly, are some of the Order’s main initiatives.  It also runs programmes for rescuing people from natural disasters, such as the snowstorms that devastated Romania’s south-eastern region last winter.