Portuguese President Hails Role of Sheikha Moza in Supporting Alliance of Civilizations

Doha, December 13 (QNA) - Former President of Portugal and UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio highlighted the role of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in producing the Alliance of Civilizations report for the year 2005 - 2006. HH was one of the high-level group members who oversaw the writing of this report, which concluded with a set of policy recommendations proposed to ease the tension between East and West and the ways of their implementation, he said. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the 4th UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum, currently held in Doha, Sampaio pointed to the importance of a common denominator between the principles advocated by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, especially with regard to achieving the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations, particularly in the field of education, youth and sustainable development beside the principles of the Alliance of Civilizations. The mission of the Alliance of Civilizations is supplemental to the agenda of the Millennium declaration goals, he said, stressing that it represents one of the sustainable development's pillars as it dedicates cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. The Former Portuguese President praised the efforts of HH Sheikha Moza to achieve these goals through her constant pursuit to lead a number of global initiatives aimed to promote the right of education and other social rights as well as to develop an intercultural dialogue among peoples. He said that this year Forum set ambitious goals integrated with the qualitative leap achieved in the Alliance of Civilizations Forum held last year in Brazil in terms of themes and means of work, adding that talking about the Alliance of Civilizations comes at a time when the peoples of the world are in desperate need to overcome all feelings of hatred. The High Representative of the International Alliance of Civilizations pointed out that societies today have no choice but to achieve dialogue and alliance because the system of co-existence is controlling everyone. The Forum will come out with a range of commitments in the areas of education, social and cultural integration, immigration, youth, women and media in order to promote a multilateral intercultural dialogue and cooperation that the Alliance of Civilizations worked on to achieve since its launch in 2005. (QNA)