Ivory Coast’s foreign minister on Tuesday received a mission from Al-Azhar, which has returned to the West African nation after an eight-year absence.
During the meeting, which enjoyed wide-scale coverage in Ivorian media outlets, Foreign Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan said how happy his country was to host the mission. Egyptian Ambassador to Ivory Coast Tarek Maaty and the Ivory Coast’s High Council of Imams head Abu Bakr Fufana were also present at the meeting.
Duncan lauded Al-Azhar’s efforts to promote the moderate teachings of Islam across the world, and expressed Ivory Coast’s eagerness to increase its relations with Egypt. He also asked the Egyptian ambassador to restart EgyptAir flights between Cairo and the former Ivorian capital of Abidjan.
Maaty praised the reception and highlighted Al-Azhar’s role in promoting Islamic culture and tolerance around the world, especially in Africa.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
