On 7 January, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Eugene Nugent as the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait and Qatar.

The Archbishop had been serving since 2015 as papal nuncio to the Caribbean nation of Haiti.

Archbishop Nugent, who hails from the midwest of Ireland, spoke to Vatican News about his experience in Haiti and about what his new appointment says about the Pope's dedication to interreligious dialogue.

He said serving in Haiti has been a rewarding and "intense spiritual experience" for him, marked by the wonderful people he has met during his years of service there.

"Haiti is a very poor country," he said. "It gets a lot of negative publicity in the media because of the natural disasters, the political instability, and the violence."

But Archbishop Nugent said that is only one aspect of the country. "What I discovered here was an enormously gifted people, very creative artists, musicians, writers, and poets."

Adding that he will miss his many friends in Haiti, the Archbishop said he hopes that Haitians will see improved conditions, "because they really deserve a better future."

New assignment

Archbishop Nugent also spoke about looking forward to his new post on the other side of the globe in Kuwait and Qatar.

Speaking about his role as the Apostolic Nuncio there, he admitted to knowing very little about the Middle East, but said he is looking forward to learning and serving there.

He added that his appointment is a "sign of the Holy Father's confidence in me, but also the importance that he has placed on dialogue with the world of Islam."

Archbishop Nugent then expressed his hopes that his previous assignments, along with the help of the Lord, Our Lady, and St. Joseph, will help him carry out his new mission as papal nuncio to Kuwait and Qatar.