The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Markos Bolaris, visited the Pope of the Coptic Church, Tawadros, at the seat of the Coptic Patriarchate in Cairo.
The Patriarch knew that Bishop Pavlos of the Coptic Church had visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, and he thanked the Deputy Minister for the interest that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government and the co-competent Ministries showed in finding a solution to the outstanding issues and problems of the Coptic Church in Greece. He underscored the challenges Christendom faced in the Middle East and referred to the inauguration of the large new Patriarchal Coptic Church in New Cairo, which took place on Christmas Day at the same time as the inauguration of the Great Mosque by the Egyptian President, Mr Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He expressed interest in the problems that the Greek community of Egypt faces.
For his part, the Deputy Minister informed the Pope about the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance assimilation, interaction and cooperation between various religions and faiths, a process which began over the last four months in Athens, which is expected to peak in the near future with a two-day conference organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the participation of all the aforementioned entities. The Deputy Minister referred to the excellent cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Episcopate of the Coptic Church in Athens, and congratulated His Beatitude on the inauguration of the new Patriarchal Church in New Cairo, underscoring that the concurrent inauguration of the new Islamic Mosque on the same day represented a highly symbolic act which the Egyptian President, Mr Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, used to send meaningful messages, both within and beyond the borders of the country.
January 17, 2019