Arab and Japanese Dignitaries Participate in "A New Dawn: Arabs looking East" Japan Arab Conference, 20-21 November 2007
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Alexandria—
The BA is organizing on Tuesday and Wednesday, 20-21 November 2007, "A New Dawn: Arabs looking East" Japan Arab Conference, attended by Arab and Japanese senior officials, businessmen, intellectuals, scientists, and media men, with the aim to reinforce Japan–Arab relations on all fronts and to explore future possibilities for further cooperation.
HE Fayza Abou Naga, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation; HE Hisham Badr, Assistant Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs; HE Ambassador Mervat Tallawy, former Egyptian Ambassador to Japan; HE Khaled Al-Gosaibi, Minister of Economics and Planning; Dr. Taro Nakayama, Chairman of Constitution Research Council and Former Japanese Foreign Minister, and Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria will inaugurate the Conference.
Dr. Ismail Serageldin stated that that the conference will discuss four main themes, namely: political and diplomatic; economic and financial; cultural and social; and science and technology. He added that several cultural and artistic events will be held on the fringe lines of the Conference including an Arabic and Japanese Calligraphy exhibition entitled "Shodo and Arabic Calligraphy".
Dr. Serageldin emphasized that several distinguished Arabs and Egyptians will participate in the conference including: Ambassador Abdel Raouf El-Reedy, President of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs; Dr. Abdel Aziz Hegazy, Former Egyptian Prime Minister; Dr. Abdel Monem Seoudi, President of Egypt-Japan Business Council; HE Mrs. Laila Sharaf, Member of the Upper House, former Jordanian Minister, and Head of the Philadelphia University Board of Trustees; Dr. Rawya Saud Al Busaidi, Omani Minister of Higher Education; Dr. Abdel Rahman Bin Abdallah Zamel, Saudi Head of Shoura Council; Eng. Abdelaziz Al Towegry, Saudi Member of Shoura Council; Mr. Adnan Omran, Secretary General of Arab Provisional Parliament; Dr. Moustafa Al Barghouti, former Minister of Information; Mr. Naiim Abdel Malak Al Sohail, Chief of the Iraqi Presidency Office , and others.
He added that several Japanese politicians, businessmen, intellectuals, and scientists will represent the Japanese side in the Conference sessions including: Dr. Tatsuo Arima, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for the Middle East; Mr. Mikio Sasaki, Chairman of Japan Foreign Trade Council and CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation; Mr. Keiichiro Okabe, CEO of Cosmo Oil Company; Mr. Yoshihide Echigo, General Manager of Hitachi, Ltd.; and Mr. Yoji Yamada, renowned Filmmaker.
It is worth mentioning that "A New Dawn: Arabs looking East" Japan Arab Conference is preceded by the fifth meeting of the Japan Arab Dialogue Forum on Monday, 19 November 2007. The one day meeting will continue discussions on the peace process, Iraq, trade and investment and Japan-Arab cultural cooperation.