Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the members of the Board of Trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), which includes a number of prominent international figures as well as renowned Egyptian and foreign scholars and thinkers. This includes; Dr. Magdy Yacoub, former Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Moratinos, Dr. Mofid Shehab, former Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture Mohammed bin Issa, former President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Engineer Hani Azar, former Kenyan Minister of Culture Amina Mohammed, former chairperson of the Convention People's Party in Ghana Samia Nkrumah and Dr. Mohamed Salmawi.
The Spokesman for the Presidency, Counselor Ahmed Fahmy, said the Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Dr. Ahmed Zayed, expressed appreciation for President El-Sisi’s unlimited support to the Library of Alexandria, believing in its role in producing knowledge and consolidating the values of science and culture, not only at the local level but also at the Arab, African, Mediterranean and international levels. In this regard, he reviewed the Library's efforts over the past period in carrying out its mission and outlined future plans to deepen its role and increase its cultural influence.
The President was keen to listen to the views and thoughts of the members of the Board of Trustees, who noted that the Library stands as a unique case at the cultural level, reflecting Egypt's role as a historical enlightenment hub for the convergence and interaction between East, West, North and South. They expressed their deep honor to be on the Board of Trustees of this distinguished edifice and affirmed their intention to exert utmost effort to create a strong momentum within the scope of the Library’s work and influence during the next stage.
The President valued the efforts of the Library of Alexandria to disseminate knowledge, noting that they complement the State's efforts to build bridges between nations and civilizations as well as affirming the concepts of pluralism, peace, dialogue, understanding and respect for the cultures of all peoples. The President confirmed the State's full support, as well as his personal support, for the Library and its important role, noting the importance of continuous innovation in its frameworks and methods of work, and its support for new research programs and innovative patterns of education, as well as stimulating young people's abilities and developing their creative skills. This is while working to expanding the role of the library in this regard, to include supporting creativity and innovation at the national, regional and global levels.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, The Arab Republic of Egypt.
