Egypt was a founding country of UNESCO 71 years ago and cooperation continues in the fields of education, culture and antiquities, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Ashraf el Shihi said on Friday.

"UNESCO contributed to several important projects in Egypt and other joint projects are being implemented," the minister told MENA on the sidelines of UNESCO meetings in Paris.

He added that his meeting with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova took up ways of boosting cooperation in the vocational education and the mutual recognition of certificates among African countries to facilitate the movement of students among those countries.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing cooperation in a number of projects including the Islamic museum and the Grand Museum of Pharaonic antiquities being established in Pyramids area in Giza, the minister said.

He noted that his participation in the UNESCO executive council's meetings is aimed at exchanging viewpoints with other countries on issues related to education, antiquities and culture.

The coming period will see more cooperation with UNESCO, especially to preserve antiquities and religious sanctities that are endangered in many world areas, he stressed.

Source: MENA