Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem met with South Sudan's Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage Nadia Arop on 22 February to discuss enhancing cultural and artistic exchange between the two countries. 

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The meeting was attended by the assistant administrative attaché at the Embassy of South Sudan in Cairo, head of the General Organisation for Cultural Palaces Ahmed Awwad, head of the Cultural Development Fund Fathy Abdel-Wahab, head of the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector Souad Shawky, and head of the National Centre of Cinema Mohamed El-Basousi.

Abdel-Dayem said that the meeting with the South Sudanese culture minister reflects the continuous communication between Egypt and other African nations.

She also expressed willingness to provide the necessary support in all creative fields to South Sudan and welcomed an invitation by South Sudan for Egypt to be the guest of honour at the country’s first festival for arts and culture. The festival will feature folkloric performances and exhibitions of traditional products and handicrafts.

Abdel-Dayem also suggested boosting the Egyptian presence in South Sudan by holding workshops for handicrafts and traditional arts as well as cinema and theatre performances.

The minister also ordered the allocation of two grants for South Sudanese students in Egypt to study cinema at the Academy of Arts, as well as the inclusion of South Sudan in the activities of the Cultural Relations initiative to consolidate friendship between the two countries.

For her part, South Sudan's Culture Minister Arop said that the visit by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to South Sudan and his meeting with its President Silva Kiir paved the way for strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various fields. She also said that her country is following the cultural and artistic trends in Egypt.

Arop also asked for Egypt’s support in founding the National Museum of South Sudan, in addition to sending an artistic delegation to photograph, and produce a documentary film on her country and organize a cultural week in both Cairo and Juba that will include a book fair, artistic performances and other activities.