Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002379/2025
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Vangelis Meimarakis (PPE)
As the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will have already been informed, the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr Nikitas Kaklamanis, wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the developments concerning the Holy Monastery of St Catherine of Mount Sinai.
In his letter, he states, among other things, that Egypt, on the basis of the 1972 UNESCO Convention to which it has acceded, has an international obligation, towards all, to fully respect the character and active functioning of the Holy Monastery of St Catherine of Sinai as a World Heritage Site constituting a centre of Orthodox spirituality, allowing it free use of all of its assets – without exception – from 2002 or before.
In light of the above, and taking into account the sensitive nature of this issue, will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) take initiatives in this regard – which we call on her to do – and inform us of the measures that the Commission intends to take to safeguard the ownership status of the monastery?
Submitted: 12.6.2025