Jordanian Culture Minister Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh met his Palestinian counterpart, Imad Hamdan, on Sunday at the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman to discuss avenues of cultural cooperation and ways to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries, in service of the broader Arab cultural landscape and to deepen engagement between intellectuals and creatives in Jordan and Palestine.
اضافة اعلان
According to a ministry statement, both ministers - joined by ministry Secretary-General Nidal Al-Ahmad - affirmed the depth of the historical relationship and cultural bonds between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples, and stressed the importance of sustained coordination across cultural and artistic fields.
Al-Rawashdeh said Jordan and Palestine share a common destiny and that the Palestinian cause is a priority for every Jordanian - a position King Abdullah II has consistently expressed in all forums, most recently in his address to the United Nations.
He also highlighted the importance of Palestinian participation in Jordan's cultural scene, noting that events, festivals, exhibitions and cultural conferences held in the Kingdom are open to Palestinian involvement - a reflection of the unity of cultural bonds between the two countries.
Al-Rawashdeh said the Ministry of Culture was ready to strengthen cooperation with the Palestinian side and to exchange expertise across cultural fields, including documentation, archiving, heritage preservation and support for creative practitioners.
Hamdan, for his part, stressed the importance of developing joint cultural projects and programmes and maintaining coordination between the two ministries to support cultural and artistic activity. He praised the strong cultural relationship between the two countries and Jordan's role in supporting Palestinian culture.
Hamdan also commended Jordan's positions and King Abdullah II's recent UN address, describing it as a source of pride for every Arab and saying the King's words - delivered with sincerity and credibility - conveyed their message to the world.
The meeting examined a number of proposals on expanding cooperation in archiving, documentation, training and the exchange of expertise, alongside discussion of the possibility of organising joint cultural events and conferences in Amman.
Both ministers affirmed that culture serves as a bridge between the two peoples and a means of preserving memory, identity and heritage, and agreed to continue broadening the scope of Jordanian-Palestinian cultural cooperation in the period ahead.
The two sides agreed to renew the executive programme between them in implementation of a cooperation agreement previously signed by both parties.
The meeting also addressed reviving the Bilad Al-Sham Symposium, which had previously been held on a regular basis. The two ministers agreed to develop a framework for relaunching it in cooperation with library associations across the Levant region.
This article was originally written in Arabic for Al Ghad.
