BRUGES - Belgium: Europe and the Arabs
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Belgium, participated in the opening ceremony of the new Coptic Church in the Belgian city of Bruges yesterday, Saturday, January 11, in the presence of His Grace Bishop Arsany, Bishop of the Netherlands and Supervisor of the Coptic Church in the Dutch sector of Belgium, His Grace Bishop "Loud Aerts", Bishop of the Catholics in the city of Bruges, Father Moussa Sorour and Father Abakir Mounir, and priests of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Belgium. The opening ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Bruges, Dirk De Vaux, in the presence of a large number of members of the Coptic community in Belgium.
A statement issued by the Egyptian Embassy in Brussels said that Ambassador Abu Zeid delivered a speech during the celebration, in which he stressed his happiness with the Coptic community in Belgium's participation in this important occasion, expressing his congratulations to the religious leaders and all participants from the community on the opening of this new religious edifice, stressing the Egyptian state's keenness to support the enlightening role played by Egyptian religious institutions abroad, including Egyptian churches in Belgium. The Egyptian ambassador also pointed to the role played by Coptic Orthodox churches abroad as a cultural bridge linking the community to their motherland, preserving the original Egyptian cultural heritage and customs, and conveying a civilized image of Egypt and its great people.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid stressed that religious diplomacy is one of the most important tools of Egyptian soft power, and it complements the official diplomacy carried out by Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad.
The opening ceremony of the church was marked by a festive atmosphere Egyptian, and the songs were sung by choral groups from various Coptic churches across Belgium, in a special celebration witnessed by the famous tourist city of Bruges.