Athens, 22 March 2024. Meeting of the IAO Secretary General with Copt Members of the Egyptian Parliament

The Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, had a meeting with the members of the Egyptian Parliament, Ms. Manal Helal and Mr. Ihab Ramzi at the headquarters of the IAO.

During the meeting, the IAO Secretary General said, inter-alia: “Egypt is undoubtedly a safety anchor in the long-suffering Middle East but also in the wider region, since in our days there is a horrible war in Gaza, a civil war in Sudan, Libya remains divided, while a tense situation prevails in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks. The country of the Nile, with its long history, is at the same time the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, but also of the Coptic Patriarchate with a large Christian flock and representation in the Parliament, while its territory also hosts world’s known religious monuments, such as the historical Monastery of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai. As the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, we look forward to deepening relations and closer cooperation with the Egyptian Parliament, and we are already working in this direction. In addition, we have translated the volume “Hagia Sophia. The Churches of the Wisdom of God around the world” into Arabic language and anticipate, once the hostilities in Gaza end, to present the Volume in the famous library of Alexandria.”

The head of the IAO, after welcoming the MPs who belong to the Coptic Christian community of Egypt, referred to the serious problems faced by Christians in the Middle East and the need to find channels of cooperation between Christians and Muslims. He also informed his colleagues that, on the occasion of the upcoming European elections, the IAO has undertaken a campaign to highlight the contribution of Christian values to the European edifice. In addition, he informed them that in the forthcoming amendment of the IAO Founding Acti it is proposed to establish Arabic as one of the four basic working languages in the Organization.

Finally, the IAO Secretary General discussed with the Egyptian parliamentarians the possibility the Egyptian Parliament to appoint an official parliamentary delegation, who will participate in the IAO activities, simultaneously acquiring the right of full membership in the Organization.