President of Russia
  • Events
  • Structure
  • Videos and Photos
  • Documents
  • Contacts
  • Search
  • Search this website
President of Russia
Mobile version

President's
website
sections

  • Events
  • Structure
  • Videos and Photos
  • Documents
  • Contacts
  • Search
  • Search
  • For the Media
  • Subscribe
  • Directory
  • Version for People with Disabilities
  • YouTube Channel
  • Русский

President's
website
resources

  • President of RussiaCurrent resource
  • The Constitution of Russia
  • State Insignia
  • Send a Letter
  • Vladimir Putin’s Personal Website

Special
animal welfare
projects

  • Amur tiger
  • Beluga whale
  • Polar bear
  • Snow leopard
  • Far Eastern leopard

Legal
and technical
information

  • About website
  • Using website content
  • Personal data of website users
  • Contact website team

All content on this site is licensed under

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Presidential Executive Office2023
Events

Meeting with Head of Coptic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

Vladimir Putin met with the Head of the Coptic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. The conversation with Pope Tawadros II took place in the residence of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church where the head of state was visiting Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on his Name Day.

May 24, 2017
21:00
Moscow
With Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
With Head of Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
With Head of Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
At the meeting with Head of Coptic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
At the meeting with Head of Coptic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Your Holiness, please allow me to welcome you here! The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia told me in some detail about the Coptic Church and about you.

The Coptic Church is one of the very first Christian churches. There are 30 million Copts in the world, including 14 million in Egypt. I am particularly pleased to note this because we have very good relations with Egypt, of course with all Egyptian people regardless of their religion.

Nonetheless, we are particularly pleased to spend time with you, the person who represents Christianity in Egypt. This is a special connection with Egypt for us.

I know that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi el-Sisi Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel FattahPresident of the Arab Republic of Egypt , a great friend of our country, is actively supporting Copts in Egypt. When you have the opportunity, please convey to him and the entire Egyptian nation the best wishes from Russia.

Head of the Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II (retranslated): Thank you for the time you have accorded me. I have long wanted to meet you.

Two years ago, I was on a visit to Armenia, and this is the second time I am in Russia, meeting with my dear brother His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. This is also especially important for me on the occasion of celebrations in honour of St Nicholas. Also, thank you for the award that was presented to me yesterday.

The relations that connect Russia and Egypt are very good. We are proud of that. I can also say that the relations between our two churches are very good. Our cooperation is developing in various spheres.

I thank God for the fact that the situation in Egypt is improving every day. We have a very good relationship with President Sisi, the Government and Parliament of Egypt. We also make efforts to maintain national unity in Egypt between Christians and Muslims.

The activities conducted within the church are aimed at the only goal: to uphold national unity. Thank you for your hospitality and for your special attitude toward Egypt. We will pray for these relations to get better every day at both the interstate and inter-church level.

Vladimir Putin: We attach great importance to developing relations between churches.

You just mentioned the relics of St Nicholas. This event has become possible thanks to the agreements reached during a meeting between the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Pope. It is a major event for Orthodox believers in Russia. We are very grateful to the Pope and the Holy See for the decision made at the Patriarch’s request.

The church plays a very important role in bringing nations closer together. In your case, this is the most prominent manifestation of a very useful modern trend.

<…>

See also

Meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia
May 24, 2017

Topics

  • Religion

Publication status

Published in sections: News, Transcripts

Publication date: May 24, 2017, 21:00

Direct link: en.kremlin.ru/d/54563

Text version

Text
5
Photo

Share
Direct link
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/54563
Share
  • VK
  • LiveJournal
  • Send by email
  • Print
Send by email

Official Website of the President of Russia:

Meeting with Head of Coptic Church, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/54563

Last updated at May 25, 2017, 15:27

Официальные сетевые ресурсы

Президента России

Official Internet Resources

of the President of Russia

Русский Английский
  • For the Media
  • Version for People with Disabilities
  • Telegram channel
  • YouTube Channel
  • State Insignia
  • Send a Letter
  • Vladimir Putin’s Personal Website
  • Putin. 20 years

Presidential Executive Office
2023