Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb has opened the 46th session of Cairo International Book Fair.
The opening was attended by Culture Minister Gaber Asfour, Planning Minister Ashraf al-Araby, Environment Minister Khaled Fahmy, Higher Education Minister Al-Sayyed Abdel Khaleq as well as several ambassadors of countries taking part at the fair.
Mehleb inspected the pavilions under tight security measures without any external security as no ambulance or fire engine were stationed, although a bomb was found at the metro stop next to Gate 1 on Tuesday.
Workers of the exhibition received the visitors with placards at calling on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not to move the exhibition from Nasr City.
The event was the first time for a president to be absent from opening of the fair, as done in previous years.
News circulated earlier about Sisi’s participation in the African Union Summit held in Ethiopia, which caused confusion whether he would open the fair himself or delegate Mehleb, especially as the printing of the brochure on symposiums were late in addition to the delay in distributing tickets allocated for the journalists and media professionals until Tuesday morning. In the previous sessions such procedures are concluded almost a week before opening.
The celebrations were earlier canceled by Sisi within mourning of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz. All artistic activities will be canceled within the seven-day state of mourning, according to Ahmed Megahed, head of General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO).
Four African countries including Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea will take part for the first time in the fair, in addition to other seven foreign countries like Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan, India, Germany, France and the Czech Republic. Sixteen Arab countries will take part including Saudi Arabia as the guest of honor.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
