Beirut hosts conference on Arab culture, impeding challenges

Lebanese Premier and Foreign Minister Salim al-Hoss on Friday opened a conference on Lebanon in the Arab culture and future challenges. The conference was held in the course of Beirut's role as a cultural capital for 1999.

The conference's opening ceremony was attended by several Lebanese Cabinet ministers, Syrian Minister of Culture Najah al-Attar, and scores of Lebanese and Arab intellectuals.

In an inaugural speech al-Hoss said the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Sciences had chosen Beirut as an Arab capital of culture for the year 1999, and this decision was approved by UNESCO. He called on Arab intellectuals to be aware of the new "onslaught" which is termed globalization and to fix a place for themselves.

Lebanese Minister of Education and Culture Muhammad Youssef Beidoun expressed the belief that Lebanon, as its embodiment of its cultural role at the Arab level, does not only face the future challenges, but also current challenges.

UN envoy al-Akhdar al-Ibraheimi addressed a message to the conferees, asserting on behalf of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Lebanon's cultural and civilization role.