Following the terrorist attack on a Coptic Christian church in Cairo, Bertalan Havasi, Minister of State heading the Press Office of the Prime Minister, has told Hungarian news agency MTI that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent telegrams of condolence to leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Pope Tawadros II and to Egyptian President Adbel Fattah el-Sisi.

“I was deeply shocked to hear about the terrorist attack on St. Peter’s Coptic Church in Cairo this morning, which claimed several lives. Today, in amidst of preparations for Christmas, an attack has been suffered by a friendly community that preaches the peaceful coexistence of religions, the love and peace-advocating character of which I have had the pleasure of personally experiencing”, Mr. Orbán wrote to the Coptic Pope, adding: “I assure you that in the spirit of Christian values Hungary and the Hungarian Government is prepared to provide all possible assistance to the Coptic community to help repair the damage. In the name of the people of Hungary I would like to express my condolences to the families of the victims and to the Christian community in Egypt”.

In his telegram to the Egyptian president, Mr. Orbán explained that what happened was “a serious attack on the peacefully cohabiting Egyptian Muslim and Christian communities, and against every single Egyptian”.

“In Hungary, we greatly appreciate Mr. President’s efforts to combat terrorism, with which he is doing a vital service not only to Egypt, but to the whole of Europe”, the Prime Minister wrote, adding that he has great personal appreciation for the fact that in recent years President Sisi has done everything possible in the interest of protecting the Christian community in Egypt.

“I assure you that Hungary and the Hungarian Government remain committed supporters of the Egyptian people and, Mr. President, in your fight against international terrorism”, Mr. Orbán wrote in closing.

(MTI)