President Abdel Fattah El Sisi chaired on Saturday the 16th annual meeting of the board of trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

The board comprises international figures including the former presidents of Romania, Colombia, Latvia and Serbia and the former prime minister of The Netherlands.

Also, scientists, thinkers and Egyptian expatriates are panelists.

Sisi delivered a speech during the meeting on the historical and contemporary role of the library of Alexandria, said Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef.

The president hailed efforts exerted by the library in cooperation with Al Azhar and the foreign ministry to combat terrorism.

He stressed the necessity to expand the activities of the BA to other parts of Egypt including the Delta and Upper Egypt, said the spokesman.

The president asserted that Egypt gives great attention to young people, a field that the BA can play a role in.

At the end of the meeting, Sisi handed over a book complied by the BA to former president Adly Mansour on his rule era.

He expressed appreciation to Mansour for his role in leading the country at a critical phase.

In return, Mansour thanked the president for this honor.