Member of the association Saleh Hashem, Head of the association Ibrahim Kamel, Director of the Russian Centres Marat Gatin, MP member Doha Assi
The board of directors, headed by Ibrahim Kamel, decided to reopen the association’s membership through a meeting open to the public at the Russian Cultural Centre in Cairo.
Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association Sherif Gad opened the meeting.
It is an important event for Egyptian cultural icons to join the association to build bridges between the two peoples, Gad noted.
Reham El-Adawi signs the membership form for the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association
Since its foundation in 1987, the association has been headed by several figures, including Egypt’s former foreign minister Dr. Mourad Ghaleb and former speaker of the People’s Assembly Dr. Fathi Sorour.
The reopening is a message to Russian friends that reflects the importance of relations with Russia and keenness to develop them, Gad stressed.
Director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Egypt Marat Gatin welcomed holding the meeting inside the centre in Dokki, affirming that the presence of a slew of Egyptian figures, some with great fame, confirms the Egyptian interest in friendship with Russia.
Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association is re-opened with membership of Egyptian icons (photo credit of the Russian Centre)
"What is happening today is an important event that will be recorded in history," head of the association Ibrahim Kamel said.
Russians have always been true friends and stood by our side in the 1956 war during the tripartite aggression against Egypt and the famous Soviet ultimatum against the aggressor countries England, France, and Israel, Kamel said.
They also contributed to arming the Egyptian army after the 1967 catastrophe, and the Soviet experts contributed to training Egyptian officers and soldiers on the latest Russian weapons during the War of Attrition which we won in 1973, Kamel explained.
He welcomed the new members, stressing that the activity plans will be determined based on their suggestions and efforts, supported by the association’s board of directors to strengthen Egyptian-Russian relations.
Attendees included Doha Assi, an MP member, Mervat Ragab, a radio personality and former head of Egyptian television, and Gamal Hassan, former first under-secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
"We have waited for a long time for the association’s return," Egyptian actor Seif El-Din Abdel-Rahman said.
The association's first monthly meeting to discuss its goals is scheduled for 8 July at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dokki.
Members’ activity proposals included organizing an annual conference for Russian businessmen in Egypt.
A team will be responsible for preparing a cultural symposium on all aspects of art. A monthly newspaper and an electronic one will be issued to document the association's activities.
Other activities include holding seminars at the Russian University in Egypt and conducting trips to the Suez Canal cities to introduce Egypt’s historical and national wealth, with the participation of the Russian community members in Egypt.
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