At the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers meeting that took place on 6 May 2004 in Dublin Castle, it was decided to establish what would be called, “The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue of Cultures”. The Foundation would serve as a forum for frank and open discussions between Europe and the Mediterranean regions.
The Euro–Mediterranean Foreign Ministers accepted with gratitude the offer of Egypt and Sweden that the Anna Lindh Foundation should have its headquarters in Alexandria Library in tandem with the Swedish Institute in Alexandria.
The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Laila Freivalds, said:"I am very pleased that Sweden, in cooperation with Egypt, has been given the honour of housing this important foundation for dialogue. Sweden, through our institute in Alexandria, has excellent potential for hosting this foundation. The decision to name the foundation after Anna Lindh shows the important role she played in promoting dialogue and cooperation between cultures".
The Foundation's main objective is to bring people and organizations from both shores of the Mediterranean closer to each other and to help bridging the gap between them. Particular importance is given to the development of human resources, while youth is the main target group.