Reading for all festival underlines the right of Egyptians to Knowledge

Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak underlined that the "Reading For All" Festival was based on the belief in the right of all people to pursuit of reading and knowledge.

This came in a speech by Mrs. Mubarak in a celebration organised by the Ministry of Information at the Cairo International Conference Centre (CICC) marking the 10th anniversary of launching the project.

The national campaign for "Reading For All" developed to become a call for the spiritual and intellectual awareness and building-up of Egyptians as the best future investment, she said.

Mrs. Mubarak described culture as a means for promoting tolerance and national security.

The Festival was not exclusive to opening thousands of libraries but it also extended to publishing millions of masterpieces, said Mrs. Mubarak.

The Family Library during that period exceeded 40 million books which were distributed in various hamlets and villages to contribute to dissemination of cultural awareness among citizens.

Mrs. Mubarak honoured 10 pioneers in the field of children's literature.

On the other hand, Chinese Ambassador in Cairo An Huihon extended invitation to Mrs. Mubarak to visit China and get acquainted with the Chinese women's Federation experiment.

A protocol of cooperation and friendship was signed between the Chinese Embassy and the National Council for Childhood & Motherhood.