{"id":598,"date":"2026-03-23T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/?post_type=news&p=598"},"modified":"2026-03-30T13:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:11:05","slug":"historic-visit-of-the-grand-master-of-the-sovereign-order-of-malta-to-montenegro-marks-new-chapter-in-bilateral-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/news\/historic-visit-of-the-grand-master-of-the-sovereign-order-of-malta-to-montenegro-marks-new-chapter-in-bilateral-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic Visit of the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Montenegro Marks New Chapter in Bilateral Cooperation"},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-598","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"hidden_news":"no","evidence":"yes","focus_on":"no","breaking":"yes","news_cover":{"id":603,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/DSC03150-scaled.jpeg"},"cover_image_copyrighted":false,"news_content":"

PODGORICA, Montenegro \u2013 March 18, 2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 His Most Eminent Highness Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, paid an official visit to Montenegro on March 17, 2026, at the invitation of His Excellency Jakov Milatovi\u0107, President of Montenegro. This first official visit of a Grand Master since the restoration of Montenegro\u2019s independence marks a milestone in bilateral relations, underscoring the deep friendship and shared humanitarian values between the two sides.<\/p>\n

President Milatovi\u0107 welcomed the Grand Master and the accompanying delegation of the Order\u2019s Grand Magistry. During their meeting, the President particularly highlighted the importance of the\u00a0resident Embassy of the Order of Malta in Podgorica<\/strong>, which reopened in 2025, and praised its renewed active engagement in fostering bilateral cooperation.<\/p>\n

The Order of Malta Embassy to Montenegro played a key role in organizing this historic visit, coordinating and strengthening the diplomatic ties between the two countries over the past year.\u00a0H.E. Ambassador Narciso Salvo di Pietraganzili<\/strong>\u00a0led the Embassy\u2019s efforts, supported by\u00a0Mr. Giuseppe Santoni – Counsellor<\/strong>,\u00a0Mr. Valerio Carafa – First Secretary<\/strong>, and\u00a0Mrs. Jovana \u0110ukanovi\u0107 – Communications and Media Officer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During the bilateral talks, President Milatovi\u0107 and the Grand Master Fra\u2019 Dunlap focused on strengthening ties and advancing joint initiatives in healthcare and humanitarian action. A key outcome saw\u00a0H.E. Mr. Vojislav \u0160imun<\/strong>, Minister of Health of Montenegro, and\u00a0Dr. Josef Blotz<\/strong>, Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, signing a\u00a0Protocol Agreement on Cooperation<\/strong>\u00a0between the Government of Montenegro and the Sovereign Order of Malta in the presence of both leaders. The agreement establishes a legal framework to enhance collaboration, particularly in the health and humanitarian sectors. A special focus of the discussions with H.E. Amb. Narciso Salvo di Pietraganzili, was pediatric healthcare, and the project initiated by the Embassy of Order of Malta to provide the Institute for Children\u2019s Diseases with an advanced neonatal-specific hemodialysis device, and training programs for Montenegrin medical doctors, in cooperation between the\u00a0Institute for Children\u2019s Diseases of the Clinical Center of Montenegro<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0Bambino Ges\u00f9 Pediatric Hospital<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The historic nature of the visit also included a joint visit to\u00a0Cetinje Monastery<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0National Museum of Montenegro<\/strong>, where the Grand Master and the President watched the Icon of Our Lady of Philermos \u2013 a revered Christian icon with deep historical ties to the Order of Malta.<\/p>\n

High-Level Meetings and Media Engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Tuesday afternoon, the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Riccardo Patern\u00f2 di Montecupo, held a meeting with\u00a0H.E. Mr. Nikola Ivanovi\u0107<\/strong>, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, to discuss practical steps for deepening bilateral cooperation. The Grand Chancellor also gave an interview to\u00a0TV E<\/strong>, which aired on March 19, 2026, at 7:00 PM on the program \u201c24 Hours,\u201d highlighting the mission and activities of the Order.<\/p>\n

In parallel, Minister \u0160imun and Grand Hospitaller Blotz visited the\u00a0Clinical Center of Montenegro<\/strong>, where they toured the facility and discussed development plans to further improve healthcare services. \u201cThis agreement is not only a formal framework for cooperation, but also a strong incentive for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and good practices,\u201d Minister \u0160imun stated. Grand Hospitaller Blotz added, \u201cThe essence is to help the sick. We are with you, ready to provide help and support, not only in Montenegro but also beyond.<\/p>\n

Widespread positive media coverage welcomed the visit, with reporting emphasizing its diplomatic significance and concrete outcomes in humanitarian cooperation, such as the signing of the cooperation agreement and the strengthened focus on pediatric healthcare.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"yes","news_gallery_elements":[{"id":599,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/DSC03003-scaled.jpeg"},{"id":601,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/DSC03122-scaled.jpeg"},{"id":607,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/DSC03582-scaled.jpeg"},{"id":609,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/JA3A0977-scaled.jpg"},{"id":613,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/JA3A1268.jpg"}],"news_excerpt":"His Most Eminent Highness Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, paid an official visit to Montenegro on March 17, 2026, at the invitation of His Excellency Jakov Milatovi\u0107, President of Montenegro."},"news_categories":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":615,"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/598\/revisions\/615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}