Egypt on Wednesday participated in the inaugural session of the conference of Coptic Bishops of Europe held in the Irish capital Dublin, in the presence of the 15 Coptic Bishops serving in the continent.
Minister of Immigration and Affairs of Egyptians Abroad Soha Gendy praised “the role of the Egyptian churches in linking Egyptians abroad to their country, and providing all support in various times and crises.”
The Minister participated in the conference, which is organized annually, at the invitation of Bishop Antony of Ireland, Scotland, and East England.
Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark delivered the opening speech, the Ministry said.
During the conference, Gendy reviewed a number of initiatives and areas of cooperation between her ministry and the Coptic Church, including the presidential initiative “Life Saving Boats,” which raises awareness of the dangers of illegal migration.
She then discussed with the Bishops the role of the bishopric services in training, rehabilitating and raising awareness of the dangers of illegal migration, in addition to educating young people about means to migrate safely.
She praised the role of the Egyptian Coptic Church in supporting the presidential initiative.
The “Life Saving Boats” initiative arose from a direct mandate by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the Ministry of Immigration at the end of the third meeting of the World Youth Forum, which was held in December 2019.
The Egyptian Minister then said, “The Egyptian state is keen to improve the quality of life for citizens, as well as cooperation with Egyptians abroad to support the most vulnerable groups.”
She listed the Ministry’s latest initiative to launch special discounted offers and exclusive prices on EgyptAir tickets for Egyptian expatriate families, as part of a set of incentives for expatriates to facilitate their visits to the homeland.
Gendy then said that her Ministry could also cooperate with the Coptic Church through organizing visits for young generation and to encourage them to learn about Egypt and to participate in the activities of the third Logos Forum for Coptic Youth.
The Egyptian Minister also praised the church’s cooperation in solving many problems facing Egyptians abroad, including hosting Egyptians during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as accommodating a number of students during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
For his part, Bishop Antony said that “the Coptic Church is always at the service of the nation,” stressing that Pope Tawadros II always directs the Church to educate Egyptian communities abroad about Egypt as a safe and secure country.
