TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied receives an honorary shield from Chairman of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation. — KUNA

TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied extolled the Kuwait-based Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation for its strenuous efforts to promote the Arabic language and Arab culture. This came during his reception of Chairman of the Kuwaiti foundation Abdulaziz Al-Babtain on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Tunisian Presidency. The President also discussed with Babtain a plan for launching an international center for calligraphy arts in Tunisia. Saied hoped Al-Babtain Foundation would contribute to the project’s execution.

Meanwhile, Babtain spoke highly about the Tunisian President’s role in defending the Arab culture, stressing the foundation’s eagerness to implementing several cooperation projects with Tunisia in the fields of culture and education. At the end of the meeting, Babtain presented the foundation’s honorary shield to President Saied in recognition of his support to the cultural sector.

In the meantime, Tunisian Culture Minister Hayat Guermazi voiced appreciation to Al-Babtain Foundation for naming this year’s edition of the Arabic Poetry competition after the late Tunisian poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi. This is a recognition of the renown Tunisian poets and literary people and their role in enriching the Arabic language and Arab culture, Guermazi said in a speech during the poetry competition’s award ceremony which was held Friday at the Opera House in the Tunisian Cultural City. She stated that Tunisia supports all endeavors to hone the skills of the talented poets, artists and literary people in Tunisia and the whole Arab world.

The minister thanked the Kuwaiti foundation for organizing the competition in Tunisia and its role in promoting Arab poetry. She also congratulated Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, the foundation’s chairman who was also attending the ceremony, for the United Nations’ honoring of him on the World Arabic Language Day, which is celebrated on 18 December of every year. In the meantime, Babtain expressed pleasure for the success of the first edition of Aboul-Qacem Echebbi poetry competition. On this occasion, he congratulated the Tunisian leaders and winners of the competition prizes.

He reaffirmed commitment of his foundation to sponsoring activities to commemorate the great Tunisian poet Echebbi. He announced that Mencef Al-Mezghani and Hafez Mahfouz had shared the prize of the general category of the competition and Naseri Al-Aradi and Ali Al-Erabi shared the prize of the youth poets’ category. Aboul-Qacem Echebbi (1909-934) was a Tunisian poet. His works include part of the national anthem of Tunisia. — KUNA