First Tunisian-Spanish symposium of thinkers

Works of the first Tunisian-Spanish symposium of thinkers and writers started, on Tuesday morning, at the Tunis National Library. This six-day event is organised by the Tunisian Hispanists Association, jointly with the Pygmalion Edypro publishing centre, with the participation of several academics, writers and journalists from Tunisia and Spain. At the opening of the symposium, Culture Minister Ezzedine Bach Chaouch pointed out that the gathering aims to set up efficient mechanisms to establish co-operation links between the Tunisian and Spanish thinkers and artists, in addition to the valorisation of the shared rich civilisational heritage. In turn, Mr. Antonio Cosano, Spanish ambassador in Tunis, paid tribute to the Tunisian people's courage and their Revolution, the source of inspiration to the Arab Spring. For his part, Mr. Ridha Mami, chairman of the Tunisian Hispanists Association, said that Tunisia has always been open to the French-language literature, but the Tunisian people's openness also needs other partners, which justifies boosting Tunisian-Spanish ties, specifying that Tunisia and Spain have a place of choice in the Mediterranean region. Mr. Basilio Rodriguez Canada, Pygmalion Edypro publishing centre director and president of the Spanish Pen Club, said that the Tunisian and Spanish common historical denominators have not been studied sufficiently, in spite of the solid ties binding the two countries in the political, economic and social fields. The agenda of the symposium includes, in addition to lectures of writers, journalists and researchers in the field of Tunisian and Spanish modern literatures, Tunisian and Spanish poems reciting, as well as a visit to the Tunisian south and concerts. Activities of the symposium are shared between Tunis, Carthage and the governorate of Tozeur. They will be crowned by the awarding of the "World Carthage Poetry Prize" of the Tunisian Hispanists Association.