RABAT – France Culture Minister Rachida Dati will visit Morocco from February 16-18, heading a delegation committed to further promote cultural relations between the two countries.
According to a statement shared with Morocco World News (MWN), during her visit, Dati will meet with her Moroccan counterpart, Mehdi Bensaid, to implement accords agreed upon last year.
The visit follows President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco last October, which marked a historic shift in France’s North Africa policy and cemented the newfound diplomatic honeymoon between Rabat and Paris.
In addition to deepening their political ties, the two countries agreed to boost cultural cooperation through a new roadmap and letter of intent on video game production.
Dati heads a delegation composed of representatives from French institutions of high importance such as the National Center for Cinemana and Animated Picture (CNC), the National Library of France(BNF), and National Audiovisual Institute(INA).
She will sign agreements in Rabat to lay the foundation for further cooperation in movie-making, archives, and games.
Dati will accompany Bensaid to Tarfaya, Laayoune, and Dakhla, where she will meet cultural and educational leaders. Official statements about the visit suggest France notably intends to fund local projects and promote collaboration between Moroccan and French cultural professionals.
Her agenda in Rabat includes a visit to the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, talks at the International University of Rabat, and a formal meeting with Bensaid. She will also go to the Rabat Movie Theater and the Chellah archaeological site.
Dati’s visit comes as Morocco and France enter a “new era of reciprocity and mutual respect” in their diplomatic relations.
While visiting Rabat in October, Macron pledged to defend Morocco’s sovereignty over the southern provinces and reaffirmed his commitment to the Moroccan Autonomy Plan.
The French president’s historic visit concluded with the two countries signing 22 agreements on various sectors in a bid to boost economic and cultural relations.
BY: The Times Union
