Egypt's foreign minister: Claims about changes to the status of St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai are untrue

The head of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bandr Abdel Atiq, has denied reports circulating in the media that the Egyptian government intends to change the status of the ancient monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. According to the head of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the state does not intend to make any changes to the Sinai monastery or expel monks from there. The official’s words were reported by the Orthodoxia News Agency.

“Egypt has maintained its unwavering commitment to freedom of religion and worship, as well as the protection of religious sites, for centuries. This commitment is deeply rooted in the country’s national identity and finds practical expression in its policies, especially in the last decade. Recent claims that Egypt seeks to take control of the monastery, expel the brotherhood, or change its religious identity are completely unfounded and devoid of any substantial basis. The decision preserves the monastery’s existing status and guarantees its ownership of religious sites. Egypt respects and fully recognizes the monastery and its associated monuments as religious and archaeological symbols,” – said the Egyptian foreign minister.

Earlier, the vice president of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Yannis Maniatis, raised the issue of the critical situation surrounding St. Catherine’s Monastery, the oldest continuously operating monastery in the world, at a plenary session of the European Parliament.