Athens and Cairo have agreed that the status of the historic St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, which has operated uninterrupted since its founding in AD 546 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian, will be preserved. The Greek Orthodox monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, holds cultural, religious and historical significance as the world’s oldest continually operating Christian monastery.

The negotiations, led by senior Greek officials, aimed to defuse tensions over recent claims in Egyptian media that challenged the monastery’s ownership and status. The discussions culminated in a joint declaration ensuring the protection of the monastery’s Greek Orthodox identity and cultural heritage. Both nations pledged to deepen cooperation on religious tourism, cultural preservation, and antiquities protection. Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis are drafting memorandums of cooperation with Egypt and the monastery. Egyptian officials, including South Sinai Governor Khaled Mubarak, emphasized the shared commitment to the monastery’s historical legacy and announced plans to enhance the surrounding region as a major tourist destination, aligned with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s Sinai Transformation Plan. [Christina Georgiadou]

Source: Ekathimerini.com