Viktor Orban of Hungary Received Pope Tawadros II

Gerges Mounir Hanna – OCP News Service – 24/08/2023

Budapest-Hungary: Prime Minister of Hungary, Mr. Viktor Orbán received Holiness Pope Tawadros II at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers in Budapest on August 22, 2023. The last visit between both the leaders was held at the Papal Residence in Cairo on February 28, 2023, during Orban’s official visit to Egypt.

Viktor Orban of Hungary Visited Pope Tawadros II

The Prime Minister expressed his pleasure that His Holiness accepted the invitation to visit Hungary on this occasion. For his part, His Holiness expressed his thanks for the warm welcome and hospitality and the appreciation of the State of Hungary for the Coptic Church and for granting him an honorary doctorate from Bazman Peter University. His Holiness also expressed his happiness at attending the celebrations of the National Day of the State of Hungary, thanking the Government of Hungary for its support for scholarships for young people in Egypt.

The Hungarian Prime Minister also confirmed his country’s interest in opening up to the East and consolidating relations with its countries, especially since Egypt is one of the most important countries in the Middle East.
His Holiness the Pope said that the East is the heart of the world and the West is the mind. The East is the origin of religions, arts, and philosophies, while the West is science, development, and inventions. On Egypt, His Holiness said: “President Sisi presents a new concept of the relationship of citizenship to all Egyptians,” pointing out that Egypt has contributed to confronting illegal immigration to Europe.

The meeting was attended by Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen and Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, Ambassador of Egypt to Hungary, and a number of members of the embassy.

Source: Coptic Orthodox Church

OCP News Service