Ashraf Mounir: Egypt's soft power by enhancing cultural influence

Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Latin American Affairs Ashraf Mounir inaugurated on Sunday evening a series of cultural events organized by the Spanish Cultural Center and witnessed the first symposium to discuss the book of Peruvian culture in Egypt.

 In statements, Mounir praised the great role of the novels of the late great writer Naguib Mahfouz, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988. 

He also referred to the work of the Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, who claimed the same award in 2010, stressing the similarities in the cultural conditions between the ancient Inca civilization in Peru and the Pharaonic civilization.

Mounir also praised the award of the Grand Cross by the Peruvian government to the renowned archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass for his role in the restoration and revival of 1,300 artifacts.

 The symposium was attended by the Spanish, Peruvian ambassadors, as well as, Latin countries ambassadors, Khaled Badawi, a member of Parliament, journalist Ahmed Al-Maslamani, and professors of the Spanish language in Egyptian universities.