Ismail Serageldin, Librarian of
Alexandria, headed the Egyptian delegation to the first Japan-Arab
dialogue. The Dialogue was
initiated in response to a request by Prime Minister Koizumi to both President
Mubarak of Egypt and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. It is a special informal (track two)
dialogue of eminent persons. The Japanese delegation was headed by Former Prime
Minister Hashimoto. Prime Minister
Atef Ebeid then named Serageldin to head the Egyptian Delegation, which
comprises Dr. Osama Elbaz, Advisor to the President, Dr. Hatem El-Qaranshawy,
Advisor to the PM, Dr. Farouk Ismail former President of Cairo University and
Abdel-Fattah Shabana, Former Egyptian Ambassador to Japan.
The Saudi Delegation was to be
headed by Prince Saud Al-Fasial, minister of Foreign affairs, and comprises
Ministers Al-Gosaibi and Al-Yamani.
Dr. Elbaz and Prince Saud could not attend the first meeting of the
dialogue held in Tokyo 4-5 September.
Serageldins opening remarks to the Forum were exceptionally well
received.
The dialogue was extremely
successful, and resulted in a joint communiqu by the three delegations, read to
the press by Former PM Hashimoto, with Serageldin and Minister Al-Gosaibi at his
side.
The
next meeting of the dialogue, early in 2004, will be hosted by Egypt at the New
Library of Alexandria.
