Greek delegation heads to Egypt amid controversy 

A delegation of Greek government representatives will travel to Egypt on Wednesday for talks aimed at finalising an agreement between Athens and Cairo that would settle the status of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai, following media reports of a controversial ruling by an Egyptian court that could overturn key parameters of the deal.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for Monday but was postponed due to the packed schedules of the two foreign ministers, George Gerapetritis and Badr Abdelatty.

Wednesday’s talks are expected to gauge if and to what extent the court ruling signals a shift in Cairo’s position on the agreement, which was finalised last December but has not yet been signed, despite personal assurances from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Only a part of the court’s 160-page ruling was made public last week, but this was enough to spark outrage in the monastic community and the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church, who view the ruling as an attempt to wrest control of the monastery and its surrounding lands.

According to the part of the ruling leaked by the media last week, the Egyptian government would be granted control over land outside the walls of the monastery that the monks rely on for water and growing crops that sustain the community.

It also reportedly declares the entire site as an archaeological monument under the jurisdiction of the Egyptian government, while stipulating that the monastic community will have usage rights over the monastery but no proprietary status.  

Source: ekathimerini.com