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21:51 GMT
CAIRO, July 8 (KUNA) -- Ex-premier Abdulqader Hatem who led the Egyptian government during the running up for October war against Israel in 1973, died Tuesday, aged 97 years.
In a press statement, Egyptian Premier Ibrahim Mahlab expressed condolences and deep sorrow for the demise of Hatem who spared no effort to help his country achieve the great victory in the war.
Hatem was born in Alexandria in 1918 and graduated of the Royal Military College 1939. He completed a political science diploma in 1947 and got the master's degree in 1953. He received the PhD in law from the Faculty of Law, Cairo University, in 1957.
He was appointed as the first information minister after in post-1952 revolution Egypt. He also served as minister of culture in during the period from 1960 to 1965. He was behind the decision to establish Egypt's official news agency (the Middle East News Agency), the first of its kind in the region. (end)
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