Pope Tawadros II travelled to Austria on Thursday morning to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Pro Oriente foundation.

The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church is expected to meet with Austrian President Heinz Fischer. He is also scheduled to have medical check-ups during his visit.  

Pro Oriente was founded in 1964 to overcome divisions between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.

The Pope had arrived back in Egypt on Tuesday from a visit to Russia where he held talks with Patriarch Kirill to bolster relations between the two churches.

He also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the status of Christians in the Middle East.