Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Sunday received members of the Board of Trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library), which includes eminent international figures and prominent Egyptian and foreign scholars and intellectuals.
During the meeting, Bibliotheca Alexandrina Director Ahmed Zayed highly appreciated the unlimited support by President Sisi to the institution in acknowledgement of its role in the production of knowledge and consolidation of the values of learning at all local, Arab, African, Mediterranean and international levels, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
Zayed presented the Library’s recent efforts to undertake its mission and also outlined its future plans to deepen its role and boost promote its potential as a beacon of culture, the Presidency spokesman added.
President Sisi was keen during the meeting to listen to the views and ideas of the BA’s Board of Trustees who noted that the Library represents a unique institution at the level of civilisational orientation, explicitly reflecting Egypt’s role as a historical centre for enlightenment and interaction between the cultures of the East, West, North and South.
They also stressed intent to make utmost effort to reaalise a tangible push to the BA’s scope of work and influence over the coming period, the Presidency spokesman said.
President Sisi appreciated BA’s efforts in the dissemination of learning and knowledge, pointing out that the Library integrates with the state’s endeavors to build bridges between nations and civilizations and assert the concepts of pluralism, peace, dialogue, understanding and respect for the cultures of all peoples, spokesman Fahmy said.
President Sisi underlined state’s full backing, and his personal support, to the Library and its vital role, pointing to the importance of continuous renewal of its frameworks and work methods, as well as support for new research programmes and innovative educational patterns.
He also highlighted its role in stimulating youth capabilities and promoting skills of creativity, while working to further broaden this role, to include support for creativity and innovation at national, regional and global levels.
Among the BA Borad of Trustees attending the meeting were Sir Magdi Yacoub, former Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, former UN Undersecretary-General and former High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Miguel Ángel Moratinos, former minister and president of the Cairo University Mufeed Shehab, Moroccan former foreign minister and minister of culture in Morocco Mohamed Benaissa, former government minister and former Head of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, former Kenyan minister of culture Amina Mohamed, former chair of the Ghana’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) Samia Nkrumah, and veteran Egyptian writer and intellectual Mohamed Salmawi.
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