The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, met in Paris today with his French counterpart, Rima Abdel Malik.

A statement by the Ministry stated that during the meeting, the frameworks of joint cultural cooperation between the two countries were discussed and the activation of the mutual understanding agreement, which was signed during the visit of the Prime Minister and his accompanying government delegation to the French capital, Paris, last June.

During the meeting, it was also agreed to work to intensify the steps that contribute to increasing the momentum of cultural exchange by developing Iraqi cultural cadres in the fields of arts, especially cinema, theatre, and visual artistic production, in addition to benefiting from the expertise of French artistic teams working in the fields of preserving and protecting cultural heritage.

Al-Badrani praised the efforts of the French side and its role in preserving a number of Iraqi archaeological sites and benefiting from the support of the French Ministry of Culture and a number of French cultural organizations, most notably the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (Alif), to preserve and restore Iraqi archaeological monuments, especially in areas that have been exposed to terrorism.

Abdel Malik also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Culture in the Republic of Iraq and its efforts to rebuild and open the Mosul Cultural Museum, and its positive future dimensions that contribute to preserving the archaeological treasures of this ancient city.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency