His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, as part of the coordination efforts between Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Shoukry said that Al-Azhar is an institution that is highly valued around the world and that it plays an important and effective role in promoting the tolerant teachings of Islam and redressing religious discourse. He also applauded the efforts of Al-Azhar and its scholars and envoys deployed throughout the world in correcting misconceptions about Islam and confronting extremist ideas. He affirmed that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry fully supports Al-Azhar so that its moderate voice can reach the world, expressing his aspiration for more cooperation and coordination between Al-Azhar and the Ministry.

For his part, the Grand Imam affirmed that Al-Azhar is moving steadily towards achieving its mission at the levels of education, qualification of imams, and development of new mechanisms to convey its moderate voice to the different world countries. This, the Grand Imam indicated, contributes to redressing the image of Islam and Muslims. He thus stressed the need for continued coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.