The MedCities event at BA
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Alexandria, 24 February 2005—Inauguration of the international event, Mediterranean City: Dialogue among Cultures, organized by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), was held on 21 February 2005. The opening ceremony included speeches by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; H.E. Abdel Salam El Mahgoub, Governor of Alexandria; Mr. Emmanuel Mbi, Director of the World Bank’s Country Office in Egypt; H.E. Mr. Gianni Martini, Consul General of Italy in Alexandria; and Dr. Traugott Schöfthaler, Director of the Anna Lindh EuroMediterranean Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures. The ceremony was highlighted by the operatic performance of the famous Italian tenor, Vincenzo La Scola.
The event, comprised of the Public Policy Forum and an International Exhibition aims to foster dialogue among Mediterranean cities through recapturing some of the unique flavor of their long histories. Participating cities include: Alexandria, Athens, Barcelona, Beirut, Genoa, Hydra, Istanbul, Marseille, Naples, Rome, Tunis and Venice.
Tuesday, 23 February 2005 witnessed the sessions of the Public Policy Forum which included a plenary session followed by four panel discussions. In the plenary session, Mr. Guillaume Benoit, Director of the Blue Plan for the Mediterranean, spoke of sustainable development issues in the Mediterranean region, while Mr. Bernard Salomé, Special Representative of the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, spoke of Mediterranean projects of BA. The parallel sessions explored the different themes of the conference; Political Institutions, Civil Society, Business Society, and Urban Development, with representatives of each sector from different Mediterranean cities, participating in their respective panel.
The Closing Plenary Session ended the conference, with reports on the proceedings of the four panels, and a speech by Dr. Serageldin stating the conclusions and recommendations of the Forum. It was followed by a press conference.
The International Exhibition, which is ongoing till 3 March 2005, provides a retrospective review and a vision for the Mediterranean city along significant themes such as political influences, trade links, religious, cultural, and scientific exchanges, and population movements. It presents the history, recent achievements and development plans of selected Mediterranean cities.
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| The Opening Session |
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Inauguration of the exhibition |
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Operatic performance
of Vincenzo La Scola |
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The exhibition |