The Egyptian Consulate in Milan celebrated the International Day of Arabic Language on Nov. 28 and 29 in collaboration with Cattolica University, according to statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The events were held Friday ahead of the annual date of celebrations (Dec. 18) as part of the global initiative to raise awareness and respect for history, culture and achievements of people of the world. The celebrations included two seminars about Arabic literature, in addition to performances of the Arab Orchestra. General Consul Ali El-Halawani, held a reception attended by diplomats and senior Italian officials in addition to other figures interested in the Arabic language and culture in Italy. It is worth mentioning that Arabic is one of the main languages in the world, spoken by more than 422 million people.