President Sisi of Egypt Receives the Heads of Christian Churches in the Middle East

Gerges Mounir Hanna – Editor of Coptic Affairs – OCP News Service – 19/5/22

Cairo-Egypt: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received at the Federal Palace the heads of churches participating in the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches on 17th May 2022.

The official spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic stated that the President welcomed the attendees in light of the convening of the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches for the first time in Egypt since the establishment of the Council in 1968, stressing that the Christian brothers in all Arab countries are an integral part of the fabric of the entire Arab society.

The President also stated that citizenship and equal rights for all are fixed values ​​that represent the Egyptian state’s approach towards all citizens, which is what the state establishes through actual and realistic practices in all aspects of life in Egypt to maximise human values ​​of peace, love, non-discrimination for any reason to spread a culture of pluralism, freedom of belief, and in return combating fanaticism and extremism, stressing that this is the strategic direction of the Egyptian state without being linked to a specific time period.

From their side, the participants expressed their happiness to visit Egypt and their honour to meet the President. They also pointed out the important role Egypt plays in the Middle East. They appreciated its efforts under the leadership of the President to reach settlements for the urgent and complex problems in the region. They emphasised their support for Egypt’s efforts to combat terrorism as well as in achieving developments in various sectors in the entire Middle East.

The Spokesman further stated that during the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance various aspects of relations between Egypt and the Middle East Council of Churches, especially with regard to efforts to support dialogue and citizenship and to combat extremism in the region.

The President also reviewed the progress of the works in Egypt in terms of the restoration of many archaeological Christian monuments, sites and churches, historical manuscripts and icons, as well as the project to revive the path of the Holy Family, within the framework of the interest in protecting the Egyptian Christian heritage.

Source:
OCP News Service