Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed on Tuesday Egypt's support for the new leadership of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) that took office on 1 September. Shoukry's confirmation was made in a meeting in Cairo with Princess Rym Ali, ALF's new president, and Josep Ferré, the foundation's new executive director, a statement by the foreign ministry read. The meeting came "within the framework of Egypt's continuous support to the foundation and its important work in extending cultural and civilisational communication bridges across the Mediterranean," the statement stated. The top Egyptian diplomat said Egypt spares no effort to facilitate the work of the foundation. Shoukry shed light on Egypt's vision of the foundation's role within the framework of partnership among Mediterranean countries. This partnership is based on the concept of joint ownership between northern and southern Mediterranean countries and the realisation of the joint challenges these countries face, Shoukry said. The Egyptian foreign minister said cooperation in facing these challenges is critical to achieve the interests of the region's peoples and communities. Shoukry underlined Egypt's priorities within the framework of the ALF's work, the most important of which is intellectual confrontation of the negative phenomena, including terrorism, extremism, hate speech, and illegal migration. The foreign minister also highlighted the need to boost communication programmes among youth and support knowledge and building capacities. ALF President Ali expressed appreciation of Egypt's support for the foundation, affirming the aspiration to achieve the foundation's goals as a bridge for cultural and civilisational dialogue in the Mediterranean region. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Alexandria since 2005, the ALF is the first common institution for dialogue co-inaugurated by the European Union and the 42 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, including Egypt. The ALF is an inter-governmental institution seeking to build trust and improve mutual understanding across the Mediterranean through bringing together civil society and citizens. Among the goals of the foundation is combating extremist discourses, radicalisations, lack of trust, intolerance, and building a culture that is based on dialogue. The National Network of Egypt operating as part of the ALF seeks to promote cultural dialogue between Egypt and other countries in the foundation. According to the ALF, the Egyptian national network now comprises 72 civil society member organisations. The ALF was named after Swedish politician and former foreign minister Anna Maria Lindh who was assassinated in Stockholm in 2003.
