CAIRO: On Sunday, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the top official as the US Consulate General in Alexandria was reopened. The new consulate will assist 23 million Egyptians across 8 governorates for all things American, including visa applications. “For thousands of years, Alexandria has been a place where cultures and faiths lived side by side,” said Clinton as the flag was hoisted over the building with US Ambassador to Egypt Anne W. Patterson and Consul General E. Candace Putnam. “This city's lighthouse and library stood as beacons to travelers and scholars who came from across the ancient world to discuss the great questions of their day," the Secretary of State added. “It is only right that the United States should have a strong diplomatic presence here." According to a statement from the US Embassy in Cairo, the consulate will “provide commercial and political partnership opportunities, development assistance through USAID, consular services for approximately 9,000 resident American citizens, cultural and educational programming, and military coordination in Egypt's North Coast and Delta region.”