The pope expressed his happiness with the Estonian president and his delegation's visit to Egypt and the Coptic Church.

He highlighted that Egypt is a country of unique historical and geographical significance, where Egyptians live around the Nile River and share a deep connection with the land. For them, the river is considered the father and the land the mother.

The pope further emphasized that Egypt has a long history and a rich civilization shaped by the accumulation of various cultures, such as the Ancient Egyptian, Christian, Islamic, Mediterranean, and Arab civilizations.

He pointed out that the unity of the Egyptian people is a natural result of life around the river, so much so that it is difficult to distinguish between a Christian Egyptian and a Muslim Egyptian — all are simply Egyptians.

His Holiness also mentioned that the Holy Family visited Egypt and travelled throughout the land, from north to south and east to west, thus blessing the land of Egypt.

Regarding the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros explained that the church began in Alexandria under the leadership of Saint Mark the Evangelist, who was also martyred in Alexandria.

He added that the term "Coptic" means Egyptian and the Church of Alexandria is known for its faith, martyrdom, and monasticism, which began with the hermit "Anthony," who has a monastery near the Red Sea in Eastern Egypt.

Concerning the relationship between the Coptic Church and the state, Pope Tawadros affirmed that the church has a good relationship with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the government, the parliament, the official Islamic institution (Al-Azhar), and various Christian denominations in Egypt and worldwide.

He mentioned the Egyptian Council of Churches, which includes all churches present in Egypt.

The pope also highlighted the spiritual role of the church and its social mission. The church seeks to give Christian love a practical form by establishing schools and hospitals that are open to all Egyptians without discrimination.

He stressed that the church strives to promote peace and love everywhere. He praised the Church Construction Law, passed by the Egyptian state during El-Sisi’s tenure following the 30 June 2013 revolution, which allowed Christians to practice their faith without hindrance.

He also spoke about the Sunday Schools where Christian children are educated in the Bible, doctrine, liturgy, Coptic language, and other ecclesiastical sciences.

The pope concluded by praying for peace among all nations and ending wars.

For his part, President Karis expressed his gratitude to Pope Tawadros for the warm reception. He emphasized his intention to visit the Coptic Orthodox Church as part of his programme in Egypt.

He noted that Estonia, too, is rich in cultural influences from various backgrounds, including Russian, Polish, and Danish, and that it has many churches.

He expressed his happiness with the visit, having visited Egypt twice before, and hoped for increased cooperation between Egypt and Estonia, particularly between universities.

He highlighted that his country places special importance on education and that all work in Estonia is done digitally. He also shared that his meeting with El-Sisi had been very productive.

President Karis concluded by once again thanking Pope Tawadros for the wonderful reception.

After the meeting, the Estonian president signed the distinguished visitors’ book and toured the exterior of the Coptic Cathedral, where the pope gave him a brief explanation.