Sisi denies rumors on alleged ‘negative’ plans against Sinai’s St Catherine’s Monastery

CAIRO – 7 May 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed Egypt's commitment to protecting Saint Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, denying rumors circulating about any negative actions by Egypt towards the monastery.

Late last year, the Egyptian government denied any threats or plans to evacuate Saint Catherine's Monastery, which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, was built in the sixth century, and is under Greek supervision.

“I was very upset when the topic of Saint Catherine's Monastery was raised and that Egypt might take any negative action,” Sisi stated on Wednesday as he spoke in a press conference in Athens alongside Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Sisi added that such rumors annoy him “not only because of the monastery's status, but because this contradicts the principles of Egyptian belief and policy that we practice,” the President stated.

He continued, “When extremists burned 65 churches in Egypt, we rebuilt them again, and we are building places of worship for Muslims and Christians in new communities.”

“If I had Jewish citizens, I would build synagogues for them,” he added.

The president said he is denying these rumors in light of the historical relationship and the great affection between the Egyptian and Greek people.

“I became very concerned that this affection is being tampered with through a sensitive issue like this, and this will not happen.”

Sisi underlined his and Egypt’s commitment to the connection between Saint Catherine's Monastery and the Egyptian state as “a perpetual contract that no one can touch.”

“This [monastery] carries within it the remains of a saint for more than 1500 years … Anyone who visits Egypt, we tell them, 'Come and see Saint Catherine's Monastery, of a great saint who was a believer at a time when there was no faith.'”

“Our people in Egypt and Greece are one people.”

President Sisi held productive talks today with Greece's President Konstantinos Tasoulas and Prime Minister Mitsotakis, culminating in the signing of a joint declaration on a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Today's visit is also special because it witnessed the launch of the inaugural meeting of both countries' Supreme Council of Cooperation.

Here's more details about the visit's outcome.