The Library of Alexandria in Egypt inaugurated the activities of the Egyptian-Moroccan Cultural Forum, which was organized by the Center for Strategic Studies and the Center for Islamic Civilization Studies, affiliated with the Academic Research Sector of the Library, in cooperation with the Mediterranean Youth Forum in the city of Asilah, at the Delegates Hall in the Library of Alexandria Conference Center, and will be held over three days.
The forum was opened by Professor Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Library of Alexandria, and Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Ait Ouali, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Arab Republic of Egypt, with a recorded message, and Ambassador Ahmed Nihad Abdel Latif, Ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom of Morocco, “remotely via Zoom application”.
Also participating in the opening were Tawfiq Lazari, Deputy Secretary-General, Asilah Forum Foundation, and Dr. Yassine Isbouya, President of the Mediterranean Youth Forum, Kingdom of Morocco, along with a group of academics, researchers and intellectuals from Egypt and Morocco. The session was presented by Dr. Mahmoud Ezzat, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, Academic Research Sector, Library of Alexandria.
Asilah City: A Unique Arab and International Model
In his opening remarks, Professor Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Library of Alexandria, emphasized the importance of this event, which embodies a close cultural partnership through cooperation with the Mediterranean Youth Forum and the Asilah Forum.
He stressed that the library is a monument built to be a platform for the mind and a meeting place for civilizations, and that since its revival it has carried a clear message to be a global platform for dialogue and a center of cultural influence.
Honoring the late Mohamed Benaissa
This was followed by a recorded speech by Ambassador Mohamed Ait Ouali, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Arab Republic of Egypt, in which he expressed his regret for not being able to attend in person due to other responsibilities. He then honored the late Mohamed Benaissa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and founder of the Asilah Forum, describing him as someone who dedicated his life to building bridges of dialogue between cultures.
He pointed out that Ben Issa had transformed the city of Asilah into a global cultural capital, stressing the need to complete his journey and mission, and highlighting the tripartite cooperation (cultural, intellectual and economic) between Morocco and Egypt, which was sponsored by the leaders of the two countries, and that this meeting, which brings together the Library of Alexandria, the Asilah Forum and the Mediterranean Youth Forum, is a practical embodiment of this cooperation.
