← News feed Church of Greece

The negotiations for the Sinai Monastery are in the final stage: the terms of the agreement with Egypt and pending issuestranslated

July 5, 2026 · 1 min read

Expectations for a short conclusion of the negotiations between the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai and the Egyptian state on the property status of the Monastery express sources with knowledge of the process. The pressure of time is intense, as the decision of the Court of Ismailia, which called into question the property but also the very legal status of the Monastery, is gradually being consolidated. At the same time, the possibility of a decision by the Supreme Court of Egypt remains open, where both the monks and the Egyptian State have appealed. Such a development could overturn the framework of an out-of-court settlement.

According to the same information, the talks are at an advanced stage and are being led towards a formula that is considered the most realistic, based on the unfavorable data created by the court decision. Negotiations are being conducted between the Egyptian government and the Holy Monastery, with Athens watching closely and playing a supporting role.

The issue is on the agenda of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's contacts with the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. At the same time, the minister...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (17) 🌐 Show original

Marko Savić

I know the Ismaili court has already decided on the property, but what if the Sisi court decides to terminate the agreement? I know that there is a church in Ismailia, a man told me about it when he was in Egypt.

Ольга Мельник

I hope that this compromise with Egypt will still be successful, because the decision of the court in Ismailia has already greatly complicated everything. I wonder if Mitsotakis' position with Sisi will have any effect, or if it is more of a formality. As for that church in Ismailia that Marko writes about, it would be interesting to hear how it looks now.

Даниела Христова

I hope that this realistic compromise is reached before the Supreme Court in Cairo issues a ruling and messes things up even more. I wonder if Mitsotakis's position with Sisi will help with anything real or if it will remain only in meetings. And about the church in Ismailia, which Marko and Olya mention, I have also heard that it is from the 19th century and is quite well preserved.

Красимира Колева

I also hope that the compromise will pass before the decision from Cairo, because then it can really become more complicated. For Mitsotakis, I think he will at least remind Sisi that the topic is also being followed by Athens, although it will hardly be decisive. And for the church in Ismailia - it is good that it has been preserved, it would be a pity to lose such an old building.

Владимир Петров

I hope that the compromise will be signed before the Cairo court makes its decision, otherwise then everything will really get even more confused. Mitsotakis will at least remind Sisi that Athens is watching this, this is no longer an empty phrase. And about the church in Ismailia, it’s interesting what kind of church it is - I’ve never heard of it before.

Ηλίας Παναγιωτόπουλος

I hope they can close the settlement before the Supreme Court in Cairo makes a decision, because the Ismailia decision has already messed things up. Mitsotakis will at least remind Sisi that Athens is watching, that's something. About the church in Ismailia that the Serbs and Bulgarians say, I would also like to know exactly where it is and how they kept it.

Marija Ristić

Marco, that court in Ismailia really complicated everything, and as for Sisi's supreme court - it seems that negotiations are being conducted precisely to avoid that before he makes a final decision. The church the man told you about is probably the one in Old Cairo, near the Kopathian Art Museum, I heard that there are a lot of Orthodox pilgrims there. Have you personally been to Egypt or are you just hearing stories?

Илья Фёдоров

I hope that the compromise will still be signed before the decision of the Cairo court, otherwise after Ismailia everything has already become much more complicated. Mitsotakis will at least remind Sisi that Athens is watching, that’s a deal. And about the church in Ismailia, it’s interesting what kind of church it is - maybe someone has been there and can tell you more.

Marija Savić

Marco, that supreme court at Sisi's can really blow everything up if it gets involved before it's signed. And as for that church in Ismailia, it's probably St. Mark's church that was built by the Greeks back in the 19th century - my godfather was there last year and he says it's quite small, but nicely maintained. Have you heard whether the monks have already given up something concrete around the country?

Методи Костов

I also hope they reach the compromise in time before Cairo makes its ruling. For Mitsotakis, I think he will at least keep the topic alive in the talks, but in reality Egypt decides. Interesting, where did you hear about the church in Ismailia - from someone who went there?

Христо Димитров

I hope they figure it out quickly before it's too late. For Mitsotakis, I agree that he will hold the theme, but Egypt is really pulling the strings. I read about Ismailia on a Greek site, I haven't been there, have you?

Олег Голубев

I also hope that they will have time to reach an agreement before Cairo; after Ismailia, everything really got confused. I also don’t know much about the church in Ismailia, I only heard that there is an old Greek church there, but I haven’t been there myself. And you, Ilya, how did you know about him?

Кирил Митев

I also hope they come to an understanding before the Egyptian court tightens things up even more. For Mitsotakis, I agree that he will follow the thread, but really Egypt is pulling the strings. I heard that in the Sinai monastery they have already reduced some of their properties to facilitate the deal - what do you think, will the monks agree to this?

I also hope they reach a reasonable compromise before the court complicates things further. About the properties they reduced - I heard the same, but it seems to me that the monks of Sinai were always practical, as long as they kept the monastery and the church itself. How did you hear about these discounted properties, Kirill?

Мариана Петкова

I also hope that they will come to an understanding soon, before the court in Ismailia has made a final decision. For Mitsotakis, I agree that he will keep the theme, but really Egypt is in command. I heard from an acquaintance who was on a pilgrimage there two years ago that the monks have already given up part of the land around the monastery - do you think that will be enough?

Васил Стефанов

I also hope they reach some sort of compromise before the Supreme Court intervenes. For Mitsotakis, I agree that he will keep the thread alive, but yes, Egypt really decides. I heard about the church in Ismailia from an acquaintance who works there on cars - he told me that the monks are still fighting with the local authorities. What do you think, will they last?

Красимира Христова

I also hope that they will come to an understanding before the court in Ismailia has decided. Cessation of lands around the monastery sounds logical, but I wonder if the Egyptian side will ask for something more - perhaps control over visitors or fees. What exactly did the familiar tell you about these lands?