Pope Tawadros II received the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral on Tuesday. Macron expressed his respect to the Coptic Orthodox Church, saying "Religious pluralism is an essential element in social peace in any country," during his meeting with Pope Tawadros II. The Pope praised the French president's great interest in protecting environment and the implementation of Paris Agreement to reduce the global warming, adding that the Egyptian Orthodox Church also cares about the environment, particularly the River Nile which is a symbol of national unity. "No one can distinguish between Christians and Muslim citizens in the Egyptian streets," Pope Tawadros said, stressing the national unity among the Egyptians. This is the first visit by Macron after being elected as President of France. Macron also met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
