By Efsyn.gr –
“As a member of the European Parliament, I feel that we have a duty to stand by the Monastery at perhaps the most critical moment in its history,” Mr. Farantouris stated.
PASOK MEP Nikolas Farantouris, a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and its Euro-American relations body, is visiting the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai.
Mr. Farantouris is departing on Sept. 24 from Brussels for Cairo, Egypt, and from there will travel to the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai for a two-day visit, at the invitation of both the Sinaitic Community and the Egyptian authorities, following his recent meeting with Egypt’s Ambassador to the European Union, Ahmed Abu Zeid.
Farantouris and Abu Zeid met in Brussels on September 8 at the request of the Egyptian side, on the same day as the Egypt-Greece-Cyprus trilateral meeting in El Alamein attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
“The Monastery’s Ownership Issue Is a Thorny Problem”
As stressed in the relevant press release, the situation at the Monastery is critical with regard to the ownership status of its properties, following last year’s controversial rulings by the Egyptian courts. At the same time, pressure is mounting for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute.
In previous statements, Mr. Farantouris has emphasized both the importance of “safeguarding the historical and religious character of the Monastery” and, on the other hand, “its ownership status and the rights deriving from its centuries-long religious and institutional presence.”
He has also stressed that “the issue must be addressed in a manner that strengthens rather than weakens the longstanding friendship and strategic relationship between Egypt and the European Union, as well as between Egypt and Greece.”
“The Archbishop and the Monks Must Be Supported”
Before departing today for Egypt, he stated:
“As a member of the European Parliament, I feel that we have a duty to stand by the Monastery at perhaps the most critical moment in its history. It is important to support the Archbishop of Sinai and the monastic community. In PASOK, we have brought attention to the issue, and President Nikos Androulakis has called for the protection of the Holy Monastery.
“I am traveling to the Sinai desert to hear firsthand, to be informed in every detail about the discussions, and to examine how the European Parliament can contribute to a just and sustainable solution.
“This is the oldest monastery in the world, with fifteen centuries of history, with the Greek flag flying in the middle of the desert, in the most geopolitically critical region of the Middle East. It is a time for responsibility, and it is time for everyone to assume their own.”
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