LOC15:51
12:51 GMT
(with photos)
DAMASCUS, Nov 16 (KUNA) -- Syrian Vice-President Najah Al-Attar on Sunday
extolled Kuwait's role in the development of an Arab all-out cultural plan.
Al-Attar was addressing the 16th meeting of Arab ministers of culture on
behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Chairman of the National Council for
Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah is attending
the two-day meeting.
She considered that efforts jointly exerted by an Arab cultural committee
and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
(ALECSO), in the cultural drive was a huge achievement.
She hailed great efforts by Abdel-Aziz Hussein, the late chairman of the
committee, who used the help of 600 Arab thinkers to notch up such an end.
Culture is the pillar of civilizational structure and national firmness,
she said, adding that the all-out cultural plan had precisely set the
guidelines of Arab cultural philosophy.
Al-Attar urged the conferees to attach attention to the development of the
cultural drive.
She voiced hope that the Arab cultural gathering would come up with
outcomes and resolutions that could help Arab thinkers and intellectuals push
forward the cultural process in the Arab world in a free atmosphere.
It mainly aims to mull over the Arab cultural policy and horizons of
cultural cooperation among Arab countries, she noted.
Addressing the meeting, ALECSO Director-General Al-Monji Bousnaina thanked
the State of Kuwait for adopting the project of updating the Arab
comprehensive cultural blueprint.
He stressed the necessity of coordination among Arab countries to formulate
cultural policies that could fulfill the requirements of the current stage.
He called for maintaining and defending the Arabic language in orientation
towards a knowledge-based society that was approved during the Arab summit in
Damascus in March 2008.
The ALECSO chief pointed out that Jerusalem would be the capital of Arab
culture in 2009, thus showing that Palestine would remain in the hearts and
minds of all Arab nations.
For his part, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said an effective
formula should be found for cooperation among various Arab cultural
institutions.
Regional and international events and changes require a reassessment of
conditions in the Arab world, he said.
He called for considering and drawing upon successful cultural experiments
applied by several regional and international blocs; chiefly the European
Union (EU).
Common Arab cultural deals ought to be put in place, he said, noting that
they would have favorable impacts on the fast-track exchanging of cultural
views and experiments.
The League is now seeking to promote and bolster Arab cooperation with
other countries and blocs, together with existing cooperation with the US and
EU, Moussa unfolded.
The Arab League chief proposed a draft agreement for protecting and
safeguarding Arab cultural and historical heritage should be hammered out in
collaboration with the ALECSO and other specialized regional and international
organizations.
On the same occasion, Syrian Minister of Culture Riad Naasan Agha said
Damascus was proud of hosting a meeting of "leaders of thinking" who are able
to create an essential about-turn in the Arab world.
Stressing the necessity of Arab cultural development, he said the meeting
came at a time when Arab countries were in dire need of intellectuals' efforts
to stand in face of globalization. (end)
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KUNA 161551 Nov 08NNNN