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10:03 GMT
BERLIN, July 6 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has granted euro 300,000 worth of aid for
the Historical Arab-Islamic Institute of Science at Frankfurt University, the
ambassador said.
Musaed Al-Haroun said in a statement he had delivered the financial support
during the annual meeting of the institute board of trustees, noting it would
be used for publication and documentation of books on Arab and Islamic history
and heritage.
Fuat Sezgin, the head of the institute, and Dr. Mohammad Taleb Al-Ibrahimi,
the former Algerian foreign minister, who attended the session, praised
Kuwait's backing, hailing in particular the late Amir HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad
Al-Sabah for contribution to its founding in 1982.
Zezgin, a German of Turkish origin, said he had sought help of the late
Abdul Aziz-Hussein, who was a minister of state in Kuwait, in the 80s, when he
first pondered establishment of the institute.
Zezgin added that he had visited Kuwait at the time and revealed to the
late Amir that he was in need for 7.5 million deutsche marks to build the
institute. Only two months later, HH the late Sheikh Jaber ordered
disbursement of the fund and buy a building to house the institute.
Historical Arab-Islamic Institute of Science at John Wolfgang Goethe
University Frankfurt was founded on May 18, 1982. It aims to research and
promote awareness the history and culture of Arab-Islamic heritage.
The institute holds a scientific library with 25,000 books, among them 300
Arabic manuscripts as well as a museum of 800 antique pieces.
The late Abdul-Aziz Hussein had chaired the first meeting of the board of
trustees, during his service as minister of state for cabinet affairs in
Kuwait. (end)
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