Opening of the Fifth Egyptian-Greek Friendship Forum at the BA
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina witnessed today the opening of the Fifth Egyptian-Greek Friendship Forum, organized by the Egyptian Greek community in Greece and hosted by the Library.
The forum was inaugurated by Ms. Fotini Gadala, founder of the Forum; Ms. Heba El-Rafey, Acting Head of the BA External Relations and Media Sector, on behalf of its director Dr. Ahmed Zayed; Mr. Ioannis Pyrgakis, Consul General of Greece in Alexandria; and Ambassador Nabila Makram, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the National Alliance for Civil Development Work and former Minister of Emigration. The opening ceremony also featured a recorded welcome speech by the Deputy Mayor of the Greek city of Kavala.
In her speech, Ms. Fotini Gadala said that the city of Alexandria has always been a crossroads of civilizations, cultures, and ideas, and that its library is a living symbol of knowledge, history, and dialogue. She noted that the Egyptian-Greek Friendship Forum is a cultural initiative that aims to strengthen Egyptian-Greek cooperation through culture, science, and human dialogue, serving as an open space for the exchange of ideas and experiences.
For her part, Ms. Heba El-Rafey stated that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's hosting of the Egyptian-Greek Friendship Forum confirms the depth of the cultural ties between Egypt and Greece and renews the commitment to strategic cooperation between the two countries. She stressed that the Forum's themes reflect common goals by highlighting the importance of cultural memory, organized institutional dialogue, and the pursuit of sustainable areas of collaboration between both countries.
Mr. Ioannis Pyrgakis expressed his delight at the Egyptian-Greek Friendship Forum's continued promotion of mutual dialogue and at the event being held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a symbol of knowledge, cultural exchange, and civilizational interaction between Egypt and Greece. He said that the Greek Consulate in Alexandria supports initiatives that promote institutional cooperation, culture, and the vibrant Greek presence in Egypt, stressing that the Forum contributes to strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Egypt and Greece.
In her speech, Ambassador Nabila Makram discussed the idea of establishing the “Reviving Roots NOSTOS” initiative in 2018, which she considers a vision and commitment that highlights the unity of the Egyptian and Greek peoples and the role of Greeks who lived in Egypt, stating that shared culture and ideas transformed NOSTOS into a presidential initiative based on cultural and historical knowledge cooperation between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus.
She stressed the importance of this forum, which highlights the shared culture and heritage between Egypt and Greece and represents a platform for educating young people about the importance and depth of this friendship and how relations and cooperation between the two countries can be strengthened in the future.