France to open cultural institute in Moroccan Sahara

French culture minister Rachida Dati will be paying a visit to Morocco on February 16-18, during which she will visit the Southern Provinces, the Sahara, where she will inaugurate a French cultural center in Laayoune.

The center was promised after France backed Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, followed by a visit by French President Emmlanuel Macron to Rabat in October 2024.

Rachida Dati will also meet local elected officials in Laayoune and Dakhla with a view to adding a new momentum to Moroccan-French cultural cooperation.

In November, The French ambassador was the first EU diplomat to pay an official visit to the Sahara, giving substance to Macron’s statement that For France, “the present and future of this territory lie within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.”

In this connection, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Morocco (CFCIM) organized “Economic Days” in the regions of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, which was attended by around fifty business leaders and economic decision-makers from Morocco and France.

“And I say this here with great emphasis: our operators and businesses will support the development of these territories (of Moroccan Sahara) through investments, sustainable initiatives, and solidarity for the benefit of local populations,” President Macron had said before the Moroccan Parliament during his visit to the Kingdom in October.