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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday had a meeting with Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Armenian government reported.

"The Prime Minister emphasized the existing religious tolerance in Egypt and emphasized the fact of warm attitude towards the local Armenian community. Nikol Pashinyan noted with regret that sometimes an attempt is made to use religion for political goals, adding that one of the reasons for this is that people sometimes do not have such good ideas about religions. In this regard, the Prime Minister emphasized the role of governments. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the long history of the Armenian people's interaction with Islam and the fact that thousands of Armenians found refuge in Islamic countries," the government said in a readout.

Nikol Pashinyan presented to the grand imam of Al-Azhar the copy of the first surah of the Quran from 1719 kept in the Matenadaran.

"The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, thanked for the valuable gift and emphasized the importance of strengthening tolerance and peace also through religions. Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb expressed willingness to organize an exhibition of Arabic manuscripts kept in Matenadaran, adding that similar events also contribute to the establishment and strengthening of peaceful coexistence between societies.

"The interlocutors expressed confidence that the Armenian Prime Minister's visit will contribute to the strengthening and progress of Armenia-Egypt ties, including in the fields of religious education and culture," reads the statement.