The UAE Embassy in Nicosia, in collaboration with the Cyprus National Library, has organised an initiative aiming to promote cultural cooperation between the national libraries of the two countries.

Mohammed Saif Al Shehhi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus, commended the close bilateral ties between the UAE and Cyprus across various fields, particularly those within the cultural realm, expressing his aspirations for enhancing cooperation and further coordination in this regard.

Al Shehhi said, “The ‘Exchange of Books’ initiative between national libraries in the UAE and the Republic of Cyprus reinforces cultural ties between the nations,” adding that the UAE’s Embassy in Nicosia remains keen to encourage deeper collaboration across various sectors."

Al Shehhi emphasised the UAE’s pioneering role in promoting the values of tolerance and openness towards other cultures and nations locally, regionally, and internationally, while highlighting the country’s role in advancing principles of respect, coexistence and the rejection of extremism.

George Hadjigeorgiou, Deputy Director of the Cyprus National Library, welcomed the initiative and emphasised the role of culture in bringing people and nations closer together, reiterating the importance of the "Exchange of Books" initiative between national libraries in the UAE and the Republic of Cyprus to enhance cultural cooperation as well as mutual historical and cultural understanding.

The initiative includes discussions that tackle methods of strengthening bilateral cultural ties between the UAE and Cyprus, and the significance of establishing cooperation and joint coordination between national libraries.