Egypt’s intention not to deviate from its commitments to the Holy Monastery of St Catherine on Mount Sinai was expressed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during joint statements with his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis, following their meeting.

Abdelatty noted that “we will soon celebrate an agreement between Egypt and the Monastery in the presence of Greece.” He expressed his belief that “there is complete understanding regarding developments on this issue. He emphasised that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi aims to strengthen relations between Egypt and Greece, highlighting that the historical and religious significance of the monastery can serve as a bridge of understanding between the two nations.

He reiterated President el-Sisi’s position that the monastery is sacred and untouchable, stating, “we are concerned about the malicious rumours circulating.” I want to assure you that they are unfounded and baseless. No one can touch this monastery, which has special spiritual significance for history. We completely reject any act that harms the monastery.”

He noted that “the monastery will continue to play its historic role as a bridge between the two countries.” He also stressed that Egypt’s historic commitments to religious sites are unwavering, and these are “a heritage that we are happy to have on our soil.”

Abdelatty also referred to the 5th anniversary of the signing of the agreement on the delimitation of the EEZ between Egypt and Greece, which, he said, proves that when there is political will, agreements can facilitate consultation and lead to compromise solutions that consider the interests of all sides, based on international treaties.

He spoke of the convergence of views between Greece and Egypt on regional issues. He added that “we must cooperate on the issue of legal immigration-which we have the potential to develop in Egypt with human resources-that will meet the needs of the Greek market and ensure decent jobs for thousands of Egyptians.”