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The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Culture and Arts, Soraya Mouloudji, in the presence of the Advisor to the President of the Republic for Education, Higher Education, Vocational Training and Culture, Mohamed Seghir Saadaoui, Government members, parliamentarians, presidents of national institutions, participating African and Caribbean Ministers of Culture, members of the advisory committee of these creative African nexus , the President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Benedict Oramah, the Commissioner of the African Union (AU) for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Minata Samate Cessoum.

Speaking on this occasion, Mouloudji said: “we are gathering here in this historic day to celebrate the African creativity in all artistic and cultural fields, and to open a renewed space for cultural exchange and cooperation between the peoples of Africa,” adding that it was a “precious opportunity for us to build a dynamic reflection on African cultural policies in order to meet the new global challenges, particularly that of sustainability.”

In this respect, Mouloudji affirmed that Algeria “intends to participate actively and effectively in the major cultural and economic development programs of Africa”, which confirms “the active role that Algeria intends to play to achieve common cultural objectives as part of the African Union (AU) definite strategy, with the aim of promoting African culture and the values of exchange, solidarity, and human fraternity, but also to spread a culture of peace and values of coexistence.”

“Based on its doctrine, Algeria has worked, through its political leadership, headed by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to pool African efforts to resolve continental issues at the regional and international levels,” she recalled.[/ecr]