Cairo - Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese received Prime Minister 'Sherif Ismail', Minister of Defense and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces 'Sedki Sobhi', Foreign Minister 'Sameh Shoukry' and Irrigation and Water Resources Minister 'Mohamed Abdel Aaty' who offered greetings on the Christmas. "The Egyptian people will remain steadfast in the face of all attempts to affect the national fabric," Ismail said during the meeting. "Egypt is determined to go ahead with its plans to build a powerful country on bases of security and stability," he added. The Pope said the prime minister's visit reflects the spirit of fraternity the Egyptian people are characterized with. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail arrived on Tuesday at St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abbassia to greet Pope Tawadros II on Christmas. Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese met earlier in the day with former president Adly Mansour.
