China and Egypt will be holding a series of joint cultural events this year to mark the 60th anniversary of established diplomatic ties between the two countries.
According to CriEnglish, more than 100 different types of events will be held to mark the China-Egypt Cultural Year. 63 events will take place in China and the remaining 39 will happen in Egypt.
Lu Yanfei from the Ministry of Culture said the Culture Year is expected to benefit future development between the two nations. He pointed out that both China and Egypt are members of the world's four ancient civilizations, with great history and cultures. In addition, the two states have made great efforts in establishing modern culture.
Yanfei said: "So the upcoming Cultural Year will enhance friendships of the two countries. It will also bring new opportunities for cooperation and boost mutual understanding between the people."
The events will involve music, dance, film and literature besides personnel exchanges between youth.
Egyptian ambassador to China, Magdy Mahmoud Amer, said that he hopes the events will help the Chinese people have a better understanding of Egyptian culture.
The opening ceremony, featuring key performances from the two sides, will happen in Luxor, Egypt, the Global Times reported. Other cultural events during the time will include tourism promotion, cultural relic exhibitions and food carnivals.
Amer said: "This year marks the 60th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic ties. To celebrate 2016 as a Cultural Year was among agreements reached by President Xi Jinping and visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2014. The Cultural Year will see the two sides work together on a series of activities including music, dance, food, artists exchanges, tourism and the exhibition of relics. We hope these events will boost two people's mutual understanding."