HH Kuwaiti Amir extols Asila cultural forum ASILA

His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah spoke highly of the 33rd session of the Asila International Cultural Forum as having noble goals. In a speech at the gathering, delivered on his behalf by Minister of Information and Minister of Communications Sami Al-Nesef, HH the Amir said Kuwait and Morocco share cultural and civilizational commonalities. Kuwait is partaking in this cultural and intellectual forum, which kick-started here earlier on Saturday, just out of its conviction that culture is its human inheritance, he said. Since pre-independence, exactly in 1958, Kuwait has shouldered to deliver a knowledge-based message, he said, citing the country's multiple cultural, intellectual and literary publications. HH the Amir thanked the organizers of the forum for spotlighting Kuwait's culture and civilization during the 33rd session. He highly lauded the Moroccan city of Asila as a beacon for opening-up and a bridge for cultural dialogue through its annual forum, which extends bridges of cultural dialogue among peoples and nationals through meetings and sessions that bring together intellectuals and thinkers. For his part, Moroccan King Mohammed VI welcomed the State of Kuwait as a guest of honor this year, as well as dignitaries partaking in the gathering . He said migration is a noble and elevated human adventure that reflects an inherent human yen to find fresh broader vistas and explore other world cultures and civilizations that used to be an effective element in cultural and human interaction as well as coexistence and closeness. He believed that human migration is not a worrying phenomenon, but it should be a sign of cultural and civilizational diversity. He urged world governments, non-government organizations (NGOs) and intellectual and academic institutions as well as mass media to live up to their due role in influencing decision-makers and public opinions to establish values of tolerance, coexistence and positive interaction among civilizations. Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social Economy Yassir Znagui said highlighting Kuwait's culture in the Asila International Cultural Forum as a guest of honor is a manifestation of awarding to a sisterly country that played a pioneering role in the encouragement of Arab intellectuals and dissemination of Arab and world culture. This good gesture also shows fruitful and constructive cooperation between both Kuwaiti and Moroccan peoples in all fields, mainly the cultural one, he said. He hailed distinguished and excellent relations between Morocco and Kuwait under the wise leadership of HH the Amir and the Moroccan King. Around 150 dignitaries from Kuwait are participating in the Forum. The forum features seminars about Kuwait's history and civilization, its political and economic development, as well as its support to Arab and Islamic causes. Seminars, for example, will also touch upon renewable and nuclear energies, migration, Arab and African media. Asilah Festival, which was launched in 1978, is an annual cultural extravaganza in which studio and performing artists from all over the world, journalists, writers, painters, musicians and dancers participate. It is the most important art festival in Morocco and is considered a forum for artists from all around the world to illustrate their art and ideas. Asilah is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 50 km from Tangier. Its history dates back to 1,500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade.