Written by: Badr Ahmed

Ambassador Khaled Aref discussed with Alpha Thiam, Senegalese Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, ways to enhance cultural cooperation between Egypt and Senegal, reflecting the depth of the historical and fraternal relations that unite the two countries, and opening new horizons for partnership in the fields of culture, heritage and capacity building.

During the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing cultural exchange as one of the main pillars for supporting bilateral relations, in addition to its role in strengthening ties between the two brotherly peoples, and introducing the rich civilizational and cultural heritage that Egypt and Senegal possess.

Egypt and Senegal discuss expanding cultural cooperation and protecting heritage.

The Senegalese Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism praised Egypt’s long-standing cultural and civilizational standing at the African and international levels, stressing that it enjoys great appreciation and respect within Senegal, due to its significant cultural and historical weight on the continent.

The minister pointed out that a number of his ministry’s staff received their education and training in Egypt, and benefited from the scientific and practical experiences they gained, which contributed to refining their skills and qualifying them to assume leadership positions within the ministry. He considered this cooperation to be a successful model of Egyptian-Senegalese partnership in the fields of capacity building and developing African competencies.

For his part, Ambassador Khaled Aref affirmed his belief in the pivotal role that cultural exchange plays in promoting rapprochement between peoples, pointing to the importance of organizing joint cultural and artistic events that bring together writers, authors, thinkers and artists from both countries, which contributes to expanding the bridges of cultural and human communication.

He explained that Egypt looks forward to expanding the horizons of cultural cooperation with Senegal in various fields, stressing that culture represents a fundamental pillar for supporting bilateral relations, and is a driving force for diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two countries, in light of the distinguished relations that unite Cairo and Dakar.

At the end of the meeting, the Senegalese minister expressed his country’s desire to benefit from Egyptian expertise in a number of specialized fields, most notably the restoration of old books, manuscripts and volumes, and the archiving and digitization of books and documents, in order to contribute to preserving the cultural heritage for future generations.

He also expressed interest in transferring Egyptian expertise in the field of heritage crafts, especially traditional handicrafts, glass and copper work, through organizing training programs for Senegalese craftsmen, with the aim of supporting creative industries, preserving cultural heritage, and enhancing the exchange of expertise between the two countries, reflecting the depth of Egyptian-Senegalese relations and serving the path of joint African cooperation.