Rome, 16 October 2000
The Prince and Grand Master, Fra’ Andrew Bertie, received on an official visit the President of the Republic of Ecuador, Gustavo Noboa Bejrano, and his consort Donna Maria Isabel. Present at the meeting, which took place in the Magistral Palace on 15 October, were the Grand Chancellor of the Order, Amb. Count Don Carlo Marullo di Condojanni with his consort Donna Elisabetta, the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Don Heinz Moeller Freile, the Members of the Sovereign Council and the Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Francesco Guariglia.

The talks between the Grand Master and the Grand Chancellor and the President and Foreign Minister focussed on the enhancement of humanitarian action in the Latin-American continent through the Order’s national and international bodies, now present throughout the territory with hospital structures and medical and social assistance centres.

During the visit, the Grand Master conferred on the President the Collar of the Order of Merit, the highest decoration reserved for Heads of State.