Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria on Monday welcomed President Michel Aoun, currently on a state trip in Egypt, as being “the key Christian leader in the Levant,” renewing felicitation on his election as head of the Lebanese republic “following a long vacuum.”
Aoun maintained to his host that Egypt “constitutes a model of moderation, openness, and coexistence among religions.”
“This model is still sound, despite what the terrorist groups did,” Aoun said.
The pair held a bilateral meeting before engaging in extended talks in presence of delegation from both the Lebanese and Egyptian sides, at the Coptic Patriarchate.
During the meeting, Pope Tawadros hoped that Aoun’s visit would deepen the existing ties between Egypt and Lebanon.
He also hailed the model of coexistence witnessed in Lebanon, stressing on the hopes pinned on President Aoun.
Afterwards, the President visited the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb.
Aoun later received at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel where he is staying, former chief of the Arab League Amr Moussa.
Both discussed the current situation in the region.
