On the morning of Monday 28th November 2011, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa went to the Presidential Mansion where he had an hour long private meeting with His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Dimitrios Christofias.
The Cypriot President welcomed the Alexandrian Primate warmly and the meeting was particularly friendly and edifying. Among other things Mr. Christofias told His Beatitude about the progress of the Cypriot problem and the challenges caused by the worldwide financial crisis, as well as about the gas drilling programme in the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus. In his turn informed the President about the progress of the Missionary effort on the African continent and the political developments in Egypt.
Mr. Christofias announced to His Beatitude that the procedures of ceding the state land for the establishment of an Exarchate of the Patriarchate in Cyprus would be completed soon, as assistance from the Republic of Cyprus to the work of the Patriarchate and then commemorative gifts were exchanged.
