Rio de Janeiro – The minister of Culture of Egypt, Farouk Hosni, stated that the Brazilian support to his candidacy to the post of director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). The government of Brazil decided to support the Egyptian in the campaign to the post, despite two Brazilians also running, senator Cristovam Buarque and the current joint director of the Unesco, Marcio Barbosa.
"Brazil is very strong, not just in Latin America, but also in the world," said Hosni in an interview to ANBA yesterday (21st) during the meeting of ministers of Culture of South American and the Arab Countries, at the National Museum of Fine Arts, in Rio de Janeiro. According to the minister, the fact that Brazil supports him for the position should result in other nations doing the same. "I am thankful to Brazil and am going to carry this support in my heart and mind forever," said the Egyptian.
The minister did not give details, but said he plans to work for Latin America at the Unesco. He recalled that the organisation was born turned to Latin America, the Arab world and Africa. But the actions and strategies to be adopted in the region, according to him, depend on studies. In the final declaration of the meeting of ministers, an item was inserted expressing the Arab League’s gratitude to Brazil and Chile.
Yesterday, the Commission of Foreign Relations of the Senate sent to the minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, a plea for the support to be reanalysed. The Foreign Minister had previously already said, however, that the initiative is part of the Federal Government’s strategy of generation of closer ties with the Arabs and Africans and that on it also depends the support of other countries to the candidacy of Rio to host the 2016 Olympics and of minister Ellen Gracie to the appeals court of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Hosni was born in Alexandria. The minister is a painter and studied at the University of Fine Arts of Alexandria. In his artistic career, he has already promoted several exhibitions abroad and has won awards. He was inaugurated as Minister of Culture of Egypt in 1987, and operated outside the country prior to that. Hosni was, for example, the director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Rome, and cultural attaché of the Arab country in Paris. As the minister, Hosni had several initiatives, incrementing and improving the museums and local galleries and creating international festivals in Egypt.
*Translated by Mark Ament
