Britain’s Prince Charles in Cairo, first visit since 2006

CAIRO (AP) — Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, arrived successful Cairo connected Thursday for the archetypal clip successful 15 years, hoping to beforehand tolerance and cement bilateral ties. The sojourn is portion of the royal couple’s archetypal circuit since the commencement of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is besides their archetypal sojourn to Egypt since the state was rocked by a fashionable uprising successful 2011 that was followed by years of governmental turmoil.

After accomplishment successful Cairo, the royal mates received a ceremonial invited by President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and his wife, Intissar el-Sissi, astatine the statesmanlike palace, earlier gathering with apical Muslim and Christian leaders. Under el-Sissi, a erstwhile general, Egypt has achieved a grade of stableness but the authorities has besides overseen the largest crackdown connected governmental absorption successful decades.

In their meeting, Charles and el-Sissi discussed efforts to antagonistic coercion and extremism arsenic good arsenic practice betwixt the 2 countries successful areas specified arsenic wellness and higher education, according to a connection issued by el-Sissi’s office.

The royal mates past met with the Sunni Muslim world’s apical spiritual authority, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque Ahmed al-Tayeb, arsenic good arsenic with Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria Samy Fawzy.

After that, Charles headed to an interfaith reception astatine Al-Azhar Mosque, the oldest Sunni instauration successful the Muslim world. He was besides to conscionable with students.

The Prince of Wales helped commencement a U.K. world assistance programme which allows Al Azhar scholars to prosecute degrees successful Islamic studies astatine British universities earlier returning to Al-Azhar to enactment arsenic module members. Launched successful 2015, the programme aims to beforehand communal knowing betwixt Muslims and non-Muslims.

Last week, the British Ambassador Gareth Bayley wrote connected Twitter that the their highnesses volition beryllium discussing U.K.-Egypt practice connected clime change, spiritual tolerance and bilateral relations. Egypt has been selected to big the U.N. clime alteration league COP27 adjacent year.

While Charles was astatine the interfaith reception, Camilla visited a low-income colony successful Cairo, Ezbet Kheirallah, wherever the British Council has been carrying retired societal improvement programs since 2017.

The royals were besides expected to sojourn immoderate of Egypt’s celebrated archaeological sites, including the Pyramids astatine Giza.

Earlier this week, Charles and Camilla concluded a three-day sojourn to Jordan, wherever they met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania and visited a bid of spiritual and humanities sites.