Mrs. Mubarak attends ceremony in honour of former NCW Secretary General
Egypt, Culture, 3/19/2001

Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Chairwoman of the National Council for Women (NCW), said on Sunday the NCW would hold a meeting soon to forge an annual defined plan on the council activities all over the country.

This came at a ceremony held at the Air Force House in honour of former NCW Secretary General Mervat El-Talawi in appreciation of her role in founding the council since it was set up in February last year.

The council last week named the new Secretary General of the Council Farkhonda Hassan who replaces Mervat El-Talawi.

El-Talawi is now occupying the post of Executive Secretary General of the Beirut-based UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA).

Mrs. Mubarak thanked El-Talawi for the efforts she had made since the foundation of the council.

She voiced hopes that Hassan, the new Secretary General of NCW, would be successful in continuing the council's plans in supporting women' causes and promoting women's role for the benefit of the society.

She said that establishing the council had come at the right time for the sake of upgrading the status of Egyptian women.

El-Talawi, on her part, thanked Mrs. Mubarak, stressing the Egyptian women's activities through the council which, she hoped it would be effective in realizing development.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs Amina El-Gindi, MP Ammal Othman and NCW members.

On the other hand, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, opened late Sunday the renovated Wakalat Bazaraa, an ancient marketplace and residence for merchants, dating to the Mamluk era.

The cost of the three-year revamp operation were estimated at L.E. four million.

The First Lady asserted that the project mirrors the state's keenness on restoring the glory and beauty of the Fatimid Cairo.

She toured the main entrance of the monument, the hall and watched pictures of the place before its renovation.

In a speech on the occasion, Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni said the revamp of Wakalat Bazaraa falls as part of a mammoth project on the restoration of the Islamic Cairo.

Mrs. Mubarak Plants Japanese Cherry Tree In Cairo Suburb: Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak on Sunday planted a Japanese Cherry tree in one of the main streets of the Heliopolis suburb, as part of her campaign "the project of one million tree." The tree was one of 1,200 cherry trees offered as a gift from the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship society to the project of planting one million tree, championed by the first lady to protect the environment and to spread greenery.

The society was established in 1995 as an NGO during President Mubarak's visit of Japan and has since then, worked to encourage trade and cultural activities between the two countries.

The Cherry Tree is a cultural and national symbol in Japan and was only planted outside Japan along the Potomac River in Washington and near the Berlin Wall.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt human rights report   (3/16/2001)
  First Lady Mubarak meets NCW members   (3/15/2001)
  UNESCO symposium hails Egypt's to develop social efforts work   (3/12/2001)

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