Patriarch Tawadros II: Visit to Serbia an impetus to cooperation

BELGRADE - Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, who is on his first visit to Belgrade, said on Monday the visit was important as an impetus to cooperation between the Serbs and Egyptians, Serbia and Egypt and the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church.

"This is not only the first visit to Serbia for me personally, but also the first by a patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This visit is very important for us, and it is an additional bridge between Egypt and Serbia and the two churches, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church. It represents a step towards building a new bridge of understanding, as well as an additional impetus to future cooperation between our churches," Tawadros II, the patriarch of one of the world's oldest Christian communities, said in an interview for Tanjug.

Patriarch Tawadros II, who arrived in Serbia on Saturday, said the five-day official visit was a result of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's visit to Cairo last summer.

He said he was pleased to have an opportunity to finally visit Serbia, a country he had read much about.

He noted that he had met with Serbian Patriarch Porfirije on Sunday to exchange views on the position of Christians in the modern world, the strength of Christ's resurrection and historical ties between Serbia and Egypt.