The Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, completed his Lebanese tour, heading north toward the city of Batroun in the Northern Governorate, with the aim of establishing cultural exchange relations between its international festival and the festivals that are held in our people’s towns back home.
On Friday 26 April 2024, and at a luncheon held in his honor, Oghanna met Batroun’s Mayor and Batroun Municipalities Union President Marcelino Al-Harak, Batroun International Festivals Secretary Simon Biban, Batroun Youth Sports Club President Youssef Bassil, and Municipal Council member Assaf Muhanna, as well as the management of the Batrounian Association.
During the meeting, they discussed coordinating efforts for cultural, sports and tourism exchange between this city, which is an important tourist destination in Lebanon today, and our areas in the region, with the aim of consolidating relations between our people in the countries of the East.
The meeting resulted in cooperation in the field of cultural exchange between the Batroun International Festivals and those organised annually by the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts, stressing the importance of the commercial, touristic and cultural connection between our people’s cities in Iraq and the city of Batroun in Lebanon.
During his tour of the city, Oghanna also visited the Batrounian Association, the Batroun Youth Sports Club, and toured, with the hospitality of his hosts, the Lebanese expatriate’s house in Batroun’s old citadel, as well as the city’s markets and development projects, to inform him of the development and urban renaissance that the region has witnessed.
It is worth noting that the city of Batroun is considered one of the main tourist destinations in Lebanon, as it includes a number of historic Maronite and Greek Orthodox churches. Throughout the year, the city of Batroun also witnesses the holding of a number of international celebrations and events, such as the annual Batroun Summer Festival, Sea Mass, and Lemonade Feast.
