Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri and Bishop Bakhomious, the Coptic Orthodox Church's interim leader, are set to meet on Wednesday, in what will be the first official meeting between the government and the Coptic Church following Pope Shenouda III's funeral ceremony on 20 March 2012.

A number of important issues will be addressed during the meeting, including the current state of Egypt's Coptic Christian community, which makes up approximately 10 per cent of the country's population.

Another point on the agenda is the procedure by which the new pope will be elected. The selection process will begin on 26 April 2012, following the 40-day mourning period declared after Pope Shenouda's death.

On Sunday, Egypt's Coptic Church officially announced its withdrawal from the 100-member Constituent Assembly -- charged with drafting Egypt's constitution -- in protest at the lack of adequate representation.