Culture Minister Farouk Hosni Sunday 12/08/2007 called on Arab countries to concur on a single candidate for the post of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) director-general.

"If there is more than one Arab candidate, the chances that an Arab will land the prestigious job will be slim," he said in statements after a meeting with the working group tasked with campaigning for his nomination.

"Meantime, President Hosni Mubarak contacted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to garner France's support and he got an initial approval," the Culture Minister said...

Culture Minister calls for choosing single Arab candidate for UNESCO top post, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, August 13, 2007.

A national committee has been formed comprising the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Higher Education to implement a plan supporting Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni's nomination for the UNESCO director general post.

The Foreign Ministry has started sending messages to foreign ministries of other countries and the UNESCO's 58-member Executive Council, with the minister's CV attached.

The plan covers actions to be taken and timetable to be set till the elections in 2009 as well as actions on the political, cultural, social and humanitarian levels.

There are considerations governing the nomination of any figure for an international position, including the status of the country of the nominee and his international contributions, diplomatic sources said, adding that the Egyptian nominee has fulfilled both considerations.

National committee formed to support Farouk Hosni nomination for UNESCO post, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, August 12, 2007.

One of my wife's friends, a straight-laced, Washington-based reporter, recently passed through Cairo and told her — at length — what a ghastly experience it had been.

I listened to his comments, and I could not help it: I wanted to wring the man's neck. He had maligned one of my favourite places on the planet.

Of course, Cairo is over the top. It is overwhelming, suffocating, intoxicating. Cairo invites extreme reactions...

Feel the past in Cairo, Justin Marozzi, Gulf News, UAE, August 10, 2007.

Culture Minister Farouk Hosni decided to form a higher committee under the leadership of first under Secretary of State for financial and administrative affairs with the aim of supervising and proceeding work in Cairo's historical project, and the projects achieved within Cultural Development and Al-Nouba's Monumental Funds.

Farouk Hosni said on 10/8/2007 that the committee includes nine specialists from the University Professors, engineers, archaeologists and administrators for following up the work in these national projects that shouldn't be delayed.

The work in Cairo's historical project started since 1992 by value of LE 850 million. In addition, there is a supervision of Al-Nouba Monumental Fund and the Cultural Development Fund which support many artistic, cinematic and cultural activities in several domains.

Forming a committee for proceeding Cairo's historical projects, Developing Al-Nouba, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, August 11, 2007.