In the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union (EU), ambassadors and diplomats representing the member states of the EU in Egypt will gather in Alexandria on Tuesday 20th October 2009 for a programme of visits which includes a scheduled meeting at the headquarters of the Anna Lindh Foundation.

The Anna Lindh Foundation is an institution shared and resourced by the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, including the 27 member states of the EU and the Mediterranean partner countries, with a mandate to bring people together for dialogue between cultures. Following the establishment of its headquarters in Alexandria in 2005, the Foundation has developed a network of over 3000 civil society organizations across the 43 countries.

During the visit to Alexandria, EU Ambassadors will receive a presentation from the Foundation’s Executive Director Andreu Claret on the institution’s activities in the fields of education, children’s literature, culture and media, as well as the planned large-scale initiatives for 2010 including the Anna Lindh Forum in Barcelona which will gather representatives from over 500 civil society organizations across the region on issues of intercultural dialogue, and the publication of the first Report on Intercultural Behaviors in the Union for the Mediterranean region.

The visit will also present an opportunity for the Anna Lindh Foundation headquarters to present the outcomes of its initiative ‘Restore Trust, Rebuild Bridges’ which was launched at the start of 2009 in the aftermath of the Gaza war and the global economic crisis, and which has led to civil society-led initiatives and projects at the local and regional level for the promotion of coexistence, cultural diversity and a culture of peace.

Prior to the meeting at the Foundation headquarters, EU Ambassadors will hold discussions with Egyptian authorities on the issue of climate change and environmental challenges and their visit programme to Alexandria will also include a lunch meeting at the Swedish Institute, the cultural institution which co-hosts the Anna Lindh Foundation headquarters along with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.