The ceremony took place at the historic Cairo University and drew senior diplomats, former ministers, foreign ambassadors accredited to Egypt, Egyptian writers, academics specializing in Central Asian and Middle Eastern affairs, political figures, and representatives of local and international media.
Ambassador Mussinov’s family traveled from Kazakhstan specifically to attend the ceremony.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Egypt Askar Zhengis spoke at length about A. Mussinov’s role in the formation and evolution of Kazakh diplomacy.
He described the book as an “indelible work” left by Mussinov for the younger generation of diplomats and international relations specialists.
Ambassador Zhengis also reviewed the current state of relations between Kazakhstan and Egypt, outlining specific steps being taken to further deepen political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
He concluded his remarks by expressing gratitude to all guests who had traveled to attend the presentation, including delegations from abroad.
A senior figures from Kazakhstan’s diplomatic service. K. Sarybay, Secretary-General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), delivered a detailed address on Mussinov’s life, tracing his diplomatic postings and highlighting what he called Mussinov’s “significant and practical contribution” to building Kazakhstan’s relations with Arab states during critical periods of the country’s independent foreign policy.
Ambassador B. Batyrshaev, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, delivered a personal message from the Foreign Minister and provided a comprehensive overview of Mussinov’s professional career, citing his service in multiple capitals and his role in shaping Kazakhstan’s Middle East policy.
Amr Moussa, former Egyptian Foreign Minister and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, was given the honor of cutting the ribbon at the official book launch ceremony. In brief remarks following the unveiling, Moussa welcomed the translation as a bridge for Arab researchers seeking to understand Central Asia’s perspective on regional dynamics.
Former Foreign Minister of Egypt Mohammed Al-Orabi noted the extensive scholarly and editorial work required to translate the book into Arabic.
He emphasized that the volume covers current and complex issues of international relations, and called it “an irreplaceable legacy for every researcher and scholar interested in Middle Eastern topics, as well as for practitioners of diplomacy.”
Ambassador Ezzat Saad, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and current Director of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Council, devoted his remarks to Mussinov’s tenure as Ambassador to Egypt from 1999 to 2002.
He recounted specific initiatives and consultations led by Mussinov during that period and highly commended his role in several politically significant events that shaped bilateral relations between Astana and Cairo.
Ahmed Abdullah, former Governor of the Red Sea province and current Chairman of the Kazakh-Egyptian Friendship Association, credited Mussinov with laying early groundwork for people-to-people ties, academic exchanges, and regional cooperation projects that continue today.
The program included a greeting video sent by B. Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS). Aryn spoke about Mussinov’s contribution to dialogue within the Islamic world, highlighting his advocacy for multilateral cooperation and food security initiatives. The video also featured archival photographs and key moments from Mussinov’s career.
Ambassador Mussinov’s family expressed their gratitude to the Embassy for undertaking and completing the Arabic translation.
A documentary video chronicling Mussinov’s biography, diplomatic assignments, and published works was also screened. Copies of the Arabic edition were distributed to university libraries and research centers at the close of the ceremony.
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