Greek Diplomacy in Action: Gerapetritis Heads to Cairo Amid Sinai Monastery Tensions

A shift in plans for the diplomatic mission to Egypt, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, concerning negotiations over the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai has been announced. Initially scheduled for today, the visit was postponed after the Egyptian court’s decision on the property status of the monastery, which has existed for 15 centuries, sparked new developments. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis held multiple telephone conversations with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelati, resulting in a meeting agreement for Wednesday, June 4th, in Cairo. The Greek minister will be accompanied by representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Religion, Sports, and Culture. This development indicates that Egypt may be raising the difficulty level in negotiations or is willing to find a political solution. Meanwhile, Greece insists this is primarily a political matter requiring a corresponding approach. The government remains committed to safeguarding the unique religious status of the monastery. In unrelated news, Deputy Foreign Minister Taso Hatzipavliou leads an economic delegation of 11 major enterprises involved in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, traveling from Moldova to Kyiv. Prime Minister Mitsotakis has instructed local authorities to prepare security plans effectively, as only one in three municipalities complied with governmental requests.