Minister of Culture and Protection of National Heritage Abderraouf El basti of Tunisia

Opening the conference, the Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation, Mr Abderraouf El Basti said that such gatherings around a common heritage provide a golden opportunity "to respect differences and transform them into a source of common enrichment.

Mr Abderraouf El Basti expressed wish that this co-operation will be further bolstered during the forthcoming events in Tunisia, notably the event Kairouan, Islamic Cultural Capital in 2009.