In the framework of the Grand Master’s State Visit to El Salvador, Fra’ Matthew Festing met on 15 February with Dr. Victoria Marina Velásquez de Avilés, Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA), at the organization’s headquarters.

During the meeting, the Grand Master highlighted the Order’s support for SICA’s mission of regional integration, describing it as a path toward peace, development and the promotion of human rights. Dr. Velásquez de Avilés expressed her appreciation for the visit and acknowledged the Order’s long-standing presence across all eight SICA member states.

Both parties agreed to work on a joint action plan to identify areas of mutual interest, particularly in health care, elderly care, and humanitarian crisis response.

The Sovereign Order of Malta was officially recognized as an extra-regional observer of SICA in November 2015, strengthening its role as a committed partner in supporting regional cooperation across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and the Dominican Republic.