President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received the heads of churches participating in the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches in Cairo on Tuesday in the presence of Pope Tawadros II — Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.
During the meeting, the president stressed that citizenship and equal rights for all are firm values of the Egyptian state’s approach towards all citizens, which is consolidated by actual and realistic practices in all aspects of life in Egypt
This is the first time for Egypt to host the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches since the establishment of the council in 1968.
The meeting discussed ways to enhance various aspects of relations between Egypt and the council, especially with regard to efforts to support dialogue, citizenship, and reject extremism in various countries of the region.
Moreover, the president reviewed what has been done in Egypt in terms of the restoration of many archaeological Christian monuments, sites, and churches replete with unique historical manuscripts and icons, as well as the project to revive the path of the Holy Family within the framework of protecting Egyptian Christian heritage.
Furthermore, Al-Sisi stressed that citizenship and equal rights for all are fixed values that represent the Egyptian state’s approach towards all citizens, according to the official spokesperson for the presidency.
He also explained that the Egyptian state implements these values through actual and realistic practices in all aspects of life in Egypt to maximise human values of peace, love, non-discrimination for any reason, and spreading a culture of pluralism and freedom of belief, thereby combating fanaticism and extremism.
The president further stressed that this is the strategic direction of the Egyptian state without being linked to a specific time period.
For their part, the participants expressed their happiness to visit Egypt, pointing to its valuable contributions to human history and its quest for peace, as well as the important role Egypt plays in the Middle East.
They also expressed appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to reach settlements for the urgent and complex problems facing the region.
