Charge d'affaires of the Egyptian Embassy in Vatican Tamer Tawfiq praised on Tuesday Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed's visit to Vatican City on top of a high-level Egyptian delegation.

The visit comes as part of efforts exerted by the Egyptian foreign and tourism ministries to promote tourism in Egypt, Tawfiq noted.

Pope Francis is scheduled to meet the Egyptian delegation on Wednesday following the weekly Mass, during which he will bless an icon for the Journey of the Holy Family to Egypt.

The icon will be later dispatched to Egypt to reflect the pontiff's solidarity with Egypt and his support of religious tourism in the country.