The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign affairs has signed an agreement with the international coalition for the protection of Egyptian antiquities, under the chairmanship of the Capitol Institute at George Washington University, the American Schools of Oriental Research and the National Geographic Society, to discuss the best ways to protect Egyptian monuments. Ambassador Bakhoum, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said a group of American institutions, at the invitiation of the Egyptian government, will hold a series of meetings with senior Egyptian officials and private sector experts. The meeting will be held at the Foreign Ministry, chaired by Ambassador Sheriff el-Kholy, Assistant Foreign Minister for Cultural Relations, with the international coalition for the protection of Egyptian antiquities, under the chairmanship of the Capitol Institute at George Washington University, and the School American Oriental Research and the National Geographic Society. The official spokesman said it was announced during the meeting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American alliance will reach a cooperation agreement in the framework of a comprehensive plan for the protection of archaeological sites and cultural heritage of Egypt, not only because the sites are of historical and cultural value but because they are Egypt's most important sources of touristic revenue. The agreement required the U.S. side to provide financial resources to improve the protection of sites, including the protective walls of archaeological sites and increased training of staff involved in implementing the law, and the initiative to analyze satellite images of national sites as well as a full database of Egyptian antiquities of the inventory of museums Egyptian and storage areas, as well as funding education and awareness campaigns.
