During the meeting, Pope Tawadros II  noted that Egypt is a country that opened its doors for Armenians to live and integrate into our society.

Tawadros cited Nubar Pasha (1825-1899), who served as the first Prime Minister of Egypt, and Boghos Bey Yusufian (1775-1844), who served as the first Foreign Minister of Egypt, as model Egyptians who hailed from Armenian origins.

The Pope noted that the Coptic Church honours Saint Gregory-The Armenian and Saint Hripsime-The Armenian in its prayer services.

Tawadros said he was proud of his friendship with Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Aram I, the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Lebanon.

For his part, the Armenian PM expressed his happiness for visiting the Coptic Orthodox Church and meeting with Pope Tawadros II, praising the fraternal relations between the Coptic and Armenian churches.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received the Armenian PM at Al-Ittihadiyah Palace in Cairo, where they discussed the latest regional and international developments of mutual interest.

Armenians have lived in Egypt since the eighth century AD.

Their numbers increased from the 12th to 16th centuries AD.

In the early 20th century, a larger Armenian community grew in Egypt after the country welcomed thousands of refugees escaping from the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire 1915-1923.