President Nikos Christodoulides met with the Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria Theodoros II on Monday, when they discussed a Hellenic centre being built in Cairo and humanitarian missions in the rest of Africa.

Speaking after the meeting, Theodoros said it was a “great pleasure” to be in Cyprus for his visit with Christodoulides, who he sees as a great friend from the time he was foreign minister.

“Thus, today, with our president like old good friends, we discussed the issues that concern our people in the area of Egypt, where relations are now so excellent, and about the new Hellenic Centre that I am preparing in the new capital of Cairo , a personal gift from (Egyptian) President Sisi. It will be a very large and powerful centre of Hellenism, Cypriot Hellenism and Egypt’s,” he added.

He said they also discussed the humanitarian missions of the Patriarchate in Africa, noting that they have 2,000 schools and 3,000 medical centres scattered throughout the continent.

The Patriarch expressed “a big thank you to my Cypriot brothers who, wherever they travel in vast Africa, are always helpful in my work,” while noting that what connects them very much is the presence of the Alexandria Patriarchate’s representative in Cyprus.