CAIRO, Oct 11 (KUNA) -- Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi said Saturday that it is essential to keep close cooperation between Cairo and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in education, culture and heritage preservation.
He made the statement while welcoming UNESCO's newly elected Director General Dr. Khaled Al-Enany, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty attending, Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohammad Al-Shennawi said in a press statement.
Congratulating Al-Enany on his recent win of the UN body's top post, Al-Sisi spoke highly of this win as a "historic achievement" that reflects Egypt's highly esteemed status and deep international appreciation of its cultural heritage, great culture and intellectual contributions as well as its influential presence in regional and international events.
The Egyptian president restated his country's commitment to the UNESCO's activities, human initiatives and joint action for building bridges of communication among different cultures and peoples.
For his part, Dr. Al-Enany said that the international trust he earned requires him to work diligently to promote international cooperation for safeguarding international heritage, disseminating knowledge and establishing the values of inter-culture peace, coexistence and tolerance.
He pointed out that his vision for the coming stage mainly aims at attaining the UNESCO's goals and reactivating its due role.
Egypt on Monday announced the election of its candidate, Dr. Khaled El-Anany, as UNESCO Director-General by an overwhelming majority of 55 out of 57 votes from the UN body's Executive Board. (end) ism.mt