Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt culture minister vows deeper cultural ties with Russia
Egypt’s Culture Minister Jihan Zaki on Saturday concluded her visit to Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, where she took part in the 14th session of the Islamic World’s Culture Ministers Conference, held this year under the theme “Dialogue of Civilizations,” the ministry said in a statement.
Zaki delivered Egypt’s address at the conference and attended the opening ceremony of “Kazan: Islamic World Culture Capital 2026.” She also took part in events at the Kazan Economic Forum (Russia–Islamic World) and held several bilateral meetings with international ministers and officials to discuss ways of strengthening cultural and artistic cooperation.
On the sidelines of the forum, Zaki joined a meeting between Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and the Egyptian ministerial delegation, which included Higher Education Minister Abdelaziz Konsowa and Industry Minister Khaled Hashem. The talks focused on boosting bilateral cooperation following Minnikhanov’s visit to Cairo in April and his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
During the meeting, Zaki outlined prospects for cultural collaboration between Egypt, Tatarstan and Russia in fields such as visual arts, literature, poetry, cinema and museums. She noted ongoing cooperation between Moscow’s Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and Cairo’s Mahmoud Khalil Museum, which houses a distinguished collection of impressionist paintings and rare artworks.
Zaki stressed that the ministry aims to build cultural bridges with Tatarstan and Russia, highlighting art as a universal language capable of bringing peoples closer together. She said both sides agreed to organize joint workshops for young visual artists and to explore cooperation in literature, poetry and filmmaking, emphasizing Russia’s rich cinematic heritage as a valuable resource for cultural exchange.
Minnikhanov, for his part, spoke of his recent visit to Cairo and tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum, underscoring the importance of expanding cultural and tourism ties between the two sides.