Paris: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty lauded the support of Gabon and Mauritius for Egyptian candidate Khaled El-Anany for the post of UNESCO Director-General. Abdelatty made the remarks on Friday during his talks with Gabon's permanent delegate to UNESCO and Mauritius' permanent delegate to UNESCO. The top Egyptian diplomat is in Paris to head Egypt's delegation at the 222nd session of the UNESCO's Executive Board and to lead the country's campaign for backing Anany in the election for the post of director-general of UNESCO scheduled for Monday.

According to State Information Service Egypt, during his meeting with the Gabonese delegate to UNESCO, the foreign minister said Gabon's backing of the Egyptian nominee reflects a spirit of cooperation and solidarity, while helping to advance shared interests and promote African priorities within regional and international organizations. While meeting with the Mauritian delegate to UNESCO, Abdelatty said the backing of Mauritius for Anany demonstrates the African nation's commitment to strengthening Africa's unified stance behind the African Union's endorsed nominee, bolsters the African continent's presence in international organizations and achieves the shared interests of all African states.