His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb received today, Wednesday, at Al-Azhar, H.E. Mr. Russ Jalichandra, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Thanawat Sirikul, Ambassador of Thailand to Egypt and the accompanying delegation to discuss ways to enhance cooperation.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar stressed the depth of relations between Al-Azhar and the Kingdom of Thailand, pointing out the memories of His Eminence’s recent visit to the Kingdom of Thailand and the generous hospitality, warm reception, and feelings of brotherhood he found, especially during the meeting with His Majesty the King of Thailand and his wife. His Eminence pointed out that Al-Azhar is pleased to receive more than 3,100 Thai students studying at various educational levels at Al-Azhar, and that Al-Azhar provides 160 scholarships annually to the children of Muslims in Thailand to join Al-Azhar education, in addition to the fact that there are 133 institutes in Thailand whose certificates have been officially accredited in accordance with the Azharite certificate.

His Eminence the Grand Imam also affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to establish a regional office for the Al-Azhar Center for Teaching Arabic Language in Thailand, to serve the children of Muslims in Thailand and enable them to learn the language of the Holy Quran. Mr. Jalichandra expressed his appreciation for this important proposal and stated that he would follow up on the matter to complete it as quickly as possible.

His Excellency, for his part, expressed his happiness at meeting the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and his country's appreciation for his efforts to spread the values of tolerance and global peace. He stated: “Your recent visit to our country last year greatly contributed to strengthening the relationship between the two countries. We appreciate your role and efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue and providing scholarships for Muslim children in Thailand to study at Al-Azhar University.” He pointed out that Al-Azhar graduates in Thailand play an important role in consolidating the foundations of peace and stability.