Serbia expresses interest in deepening ties with Al-Azhar - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

19-06-2025

Serbian Prime Minister Duro Mascut expressed his pleasure on Wednesday at meeting the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, affirming Serbia's interest in deepening its relationship with Al-Azhar.
This came during PM Mascut's meeting with Sheikh El-Tayyeb at Al-Azhar's headquarters.
During the meeting, Mascut voiced his country's commitment to enhancing cooperation in education and religious dialogue by sending Serbian students to study at Al-Azhar at the university level and pre-university education.
He also conveyed Serbia's desire to sign cooperation protocols between Al-Azhar University and Serbian universities to support joint academic and research projects, including faculty and student exchanges.
The Serbian prime minister reiterated his country's keenness to strengthen ties with Islamic institutions, particularly Al-Azhar.
Moreover, he affirmed Serbia's support for the Palestinian cause, evident in its vote in favor of granting Palestine full membership at the United Nations and its consistent position in support of the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state.
For his part, Sheikh El-Tayyeb affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to meet the needs of Serbian Muslims by training imams at the Al-Azhar International Academy for Training Imams and Preachers.
He said the training will equip religious leaders to address contemporary intellectual and social challenges, such as promoting human fraternity, positive coexistence, women's rights in Islam, and rational rebuttals to extremist ideologies.
El-Tayyeb also expressed Al-Azhar's willingness to welcome Serbian Muslim students to study at Al-Azhar University and establish a centre for Arabic language education in Serbia to help Muslim community members learn the Quran language.
The grand imam stressed that peace and mutual understanding are Al-Azhar's core principles.
He stated that Al-Azhar instills in its students a deep sense of patriotism, respect for diversity, and openness to others.
"Difference is a divine universal law, and peaceful coexistence is central to Islamic teaching," he highlighted.
Meeting with Pope Tawadros II
Earlier on Tuesday, Pope Tawadros II, head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, received Prime Minister Muscat and his accompanying delegation at the papal residence in Cairo as part of his current official visit to Egypt.
Upon his arrival, the Serbian prime minister wrote a message in the VIP visitors' book before beginning his meeting with the pope.
During their meeting, Pope Tawadros II welcomed PM Muscat, recalling their previous meeting in Belgrade a long time ago.
"Although the visit lasted only a few days, it left many beautiful memories. When I returned to Egypt, I spoke to many people about your beautiful country,' the pope said.
He noted that the Coptic Orthodox Church, founded in the first century, is a centuries-old church that has played a vital role in Egyptian society.
"Egypt is the only country the Holy Family visited, which gives it great significance in both religious tourism and sacred history. This visit sanctified the land of Egypt, making it one of Christianty's holy lands alongside Palestine," Pope Tawdros II added.
The pope highlighted that Saint Mark the Apostle founded the Coptic Orthodox Church, and Saint Anthony was the first to practice monasticism, a path followed by monks worldwide. This affirms the church's profound role in Christian life.
He further noted that the church serves society in Egypt and abroad.
'I hoped your visit could include more of the historical and religious landmarks that Egypt is known for,' he told the Serbian prime minister, adding that the Egyptian government is very interested in the path of the Holy Family, part of which was on land and part through the Nile River.
Pope Tawadros also emphasized the importance of promoting religious tourism between Egypt and Serbia.
For his part, PM Mascut expressed his honour at meeting Pope Tawadros II again, praising the Coptic Orthodox Church for preserving Christian history and highlighting the Coptic community's vital role in Egyptian society.
He also recalled the pope's recent visit to Serbia as warm and memorable, noting that this trip to Egypt marks his first official foreign visit as prime minister.
Furthermore, Mascut conveyed greetings from Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Serbian prime minister also said he had seen the church in Egypt's New Administrative Capital during his meeting with the Egyptian prime minister.
Pope Tawadros said this church is the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, which President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on the same day as the Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque.
He pointed out that the Coptic Orthodox Church enjoys good relations with the president, the government, Al-Azhar, and other Christian churches in Egypt and worldwide.
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