On Sunday, 8 December 2024, the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, attended the celebration of the Great Martyr Saint Catherine at the namesake Sacred Royal Autonomous Monastery of Mount Sinai in Egypt, upon invitation of the Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan, and Raithu, Mr. Damianos.
Mr. Dendias attended the Holy Liturgy, officiated by His Beatitude, the Archbishop of Nea Ioustiniani and All Cyprus, Mr. Georgios, during which he was awarded by Mr. Damianos the medal of the Patron Saint of Sinai, the Great Martyr Saint Catherine.
The Holy Liturgy was also attended by the Ambassador of Greece to Egypt, Nikolaos Papageorgiou, as well as the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Egypt, Poly Ioannou.
On behalf of the Egyptian authorities, the celebration was attended by the Governor of South Sinai, General Khaled Mubarak, and the representative of the Ministry of Defence of Egypt, General Mohammad Sediq.
The Minister then followed the Litany of the Holy Relics.