By Gifts Antoniou

The distance between Athens and Cairo, regarding the next day for the Sinai Monastery, was confirmed at yesterday’s meeting of the delegations of the two sides in the Egyptian capital, as the negotiations will continue.

This development is of concern to the Sinai community, as it is estimated that an extension of the pending will result in the issue being leaving the front line without being resolved, the interest will be intentional and this will result in consolidating the new data formed by the recent judicial ruling, which would have been signed.

Now, the data is different and this has become clear at yesterday’s meeting in Cairo. The Greek side, which in any case does not wish to disturb the strategic relationship with Egypt, has shown its positions with a focus on the great value of the Sinas Monastery as a World Heritage Site and the international dimension it entails. He emphasized the need to protect the monastery’s status quo, to ensure his legal personality and continuity.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritisafter the meeting was completed: “Our relationship with Egypt is deep and has developed strategic characteristics. We discussed today with the Egyptian Foreign Minister the issues related to the Monastery of St. Catherine of Mount Sinai. We have agreed immediately to work in the direction of securing the rights of the monastery, as well as its legal form and personality. The intention of Egypt and Greece is to proceed on the basis of the centuries -long tradition and the already designed status of a emblematic monastery for its Greek -Orthodox worship character. “

From a government point they say that the Egyptian side assured of its intention To remain unalterable the worshiper and Greek -Orthodox character of the monastery. This, however, was not the dispute in the previous period, nor does it give any prospects for the issues of ownership of the monastery’s premises and its assets, which have been raised and which are obviously sought to close by the recent judicial decision.

Reports indicate that there was significant representation in the Egyptian delegation by executives with a judicial and legal background and that it was of great importance in analyzing the data formulated by the court decision. That is, it was confirmed to assess that in any discussions between the two sides, The background affects the decision She.

The question that is pushing now is whether the subsequent discussions – negotiations will move quickly. The previous delay in signing the agreement, with the well -known results, leaves much room for optimism. In this light, in the Sinai Monastery they look at their choices and the possibilities they have to move against the new environment.

In priorities are the internationalization of the issuein order to maintain interest and to exert pressure to resolve the pending. In a second stage, examined The prospect of appeal to the EU demanding the suspension of European funding to Egypt for humanitarian and cultural actions.