Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday inaugurated the 44th Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) under the slogan of "Dialogue not Clash."

The event, held from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 at Cairo International Stadium, draws the participation of 735 publishers from 25 countries to display books in fields including politics, economy, society, science, religious and art, as well as encyclopedias, dictionaries, lexicons and children's books.

Organizers will also hold debates and forums echoing the topic of the year's fair to highlight the significance of dialogue and understanding among people.

The fair will not be closed on Jan. 25 over fears of planned mass protests to mark the second anniversary of the 2011 "uprising, " said Ahmed Megahed, director of the General Egyptian Book Organization.

"We're in constant contact with the Ministry of Interior and we also have contracts with private security companies for protection of the fair and its activities," Megahed said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the 44th CIBF marked Libya as the guest of honor to hail its efforts to improve the publishing industry after the country's turmoil in 2011.

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