Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis met in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, to address concerns over the legal status of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai.
“We agreed to work in the immediate future toward securing the rights of the monastery, as well as its legal status,” Gerapetritis said, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to preserving the site’s historic religious role.
“The intention of both Egypt and Greece is to move forward based on the centuries-old tradition and the already established status of an emblematic monastery, given its Greek Orthodox religious character,” he added.
Δήλωση Υπουργού Εξωτερικών, Γιώργου Γεραπετρίτη, στην ΕΡΤ και τον δημοσιογράφο Νίκο Μελέτη, μετά το πέρας της συνάντησής του με τον Υπουργό Εξωτερικών της Αιγύπτου, Badr Abdelatty (Κάιρο, 04.06.2025) pic.twitter.com/I1t8JvZpBK
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) June 4, 2025
The visit follows an Egyptian court ruling that designates surrounding monastery land as state property under the oversight of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Athens fears this could lead to the site’s conversion into a museum and the eventual eviction of the monks, most of whom are not Egyptian citizens.
Talks are ongoing, and assurances had previously been given during President El-Sisi’s May visit to Athens that the monastery’s status would remain unchanged.
Source: Ekathimerini.
