France sets up French Alliance in Laayoune
French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, announced on Monday in Laayoune the establishment of a French Alliance in the city, aiming to boost cultural cooperation between France and Morocco, particularly in the southern provinces.
“We want this Alliance to become a resource center and a key hub for cultural cooperation between France and Morocco,” Dati said after a meeting dedicated to presenting the Alliance project.
Dati highlighted that this French Alliance will benefit children, students, teachers, and trainers in the region.
It aims to open doors to various cultural activities, including language learning, artist exchanges, and educational paths, she said.
“We will also promote a high-quality French cultural offering and language courses by supporting the opening of this French Alliance in Laayoune,” she added, noting that the project is particularly “ambitious and symbolic.”
Minister Dati also stressed that such cultural initiatives are part of France’s tangible cooperation with Morocco and the fulfillment of commitments made by French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Morocco in October 2024, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.
“This cultural cooperation in this region reflects France’s strong commitment,” she said, adding that cooperation agreements in fields such as media, heritage, cinema, and cultural and creative industries, among others, will be concretized to benefit local populations.
She also expressed admiration for Morocco’s efforts in advancing the economic and social development of the region, as well as the quality of the infrastructures in the Laayoune-Sakia Al Hamra region, that reflects the ambition and visionary leadership of the King for the development of the southern provinces.
For his part, Moroccan Minister of culture Mehdi Bensaid emphasized that Rachida Dati’s visit is the first of its kind by a French minister to the southern provinces, underscoring the historical depth of relations between France and Morocco, particularly in their cultural dimension.
Bensaid also noted that cultural industries are an investment in human development and new professions, adding that the population of the southern provinces, especially the youth, will benefit from the cultural industry.
In Laayoune, the French minister also visited the facilities of the Mohammed VI Library, a cultural hub considered one of the most important in the Kingdom.
The same day, Rachida Dati and her Moroccan peer chaired a launch ceremony of a regional branch of the Higher institute of Audiovisual and Film Professions (ISMAC) in Dakhla.
The new facility will strengthen the region’s audiovisual and film training offer by providing young people with a range of specialized training courses, including filmmaking, scriptwriting, production, sound engineering, editing and special effects.
In a statement to the press, Dati noted that the inauguration of the ISMAC regional branch in Dakhla is the result of a cooperation agreement signed between Morocco and France in Cannes, aimed at giving new momentum to their collaboration in the areas of co-production and film exchanges.
This cooperation will cover various cultural fields, including cinema, media, audiovisual, new technologies, and AI, among others, she said, adding that it will benefit trainers, teachers, and students in the region.
“My visit as the French Minister of Culture to Dakhla carries a very strong political significance,” Dati emphasized, noting that the inauguration of this new facility reflects the shared ambition of both countries to continue strengthening their solid partnership in various fields, particularly in culture.
For his part, Bensaid noted that the goal of this agreement is to enhance the skills of young people in the cinematographic field, adding that with the inauguration of this institution, an important cultural momentum will be launched in the city of Dakhla, which boasts enormous natural potential, thus attracting numerous national and international filmmakers.
“Our partnership with France constitutes a significant opportunity to learn from the French experience in this field and acquire new cinematographic techniques, which will strengthen the training of young people in the cinema and audiovisual professions,” the official said.
Rachida Dati’s visit to Moroccan southern provinces, which bears a strong political dimension and which reaffirms the support of France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, was also marked by a trip to the town of Tarfaya, and more specifically to the Casa del Mar monument, which is set to be restored.
She also visited the Kasbah of Tarfaya and the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Museum, where the French writer and aviator (1900-1944) stayed in a house that has been transformed into a museum and receives tourists from all over the world.
Dati’s working visit to Morocco continues this Tuesday with an extended meeting with Bensaïd, as well as the signing of agreements in the fields of culture, arts, and cinema.
