He stressed that this occasion marks a new opportunity to “affirm our unity [as part of the Egyptian] homeland and citizenship, which is the backbone of our new republic.”

“I am pleased to extend my sincere congratulations to Coptic Orthodox Christians on this glorious occasion,” El-Sisi said in a social media post on Sunday.

“We have taken important steps in the path of citizenship, and the road is still ahead of us, and we are determined to see it through to the end,” he added.

Earlier, the president hailed Pope Tawadros II — Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church — emphasising that Easter Sunday coinciding with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is a call for adherence to all noble religious values.

On Saturday, Pope Tawadros II led the Orthodox Easter Sunday Mass, which was attended by a large number of worshipers amid strict coronavirus measures.

The celebrations of Christian religious events within the holy week — which starts with Palm Sunday and includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — were disrupted over the past two years due to the pandemic, as attending masses was limited to Church officials in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country.