Magazine L’Année Francophone Internationale launched on International Francophonie Day in Moldova

Chisinau, 20 March /MOLDPRES/ - The National Library of Moldova, in cooperation with the Embassy of France in Moldova, French Alliance in Chisinau, Agora francophone, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched the last issue of the magazine L’Année Francophone Internationale (AFI) on the International Francophonie Day today.  

Attending the event were State Secretary at the Education, Culture and Research Ministry Andrei Chistol, first adviser at the Embassy of France to Moldova Serge Casseri, the chief adviser at the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry, Vlad Chirinciuc, other official persons.

Contacted by MOLDPRES, Maria Neagu, a member of the administrative board of the cultural platform, Agora francophone, which edits this publication, said that AFI is a francophone magazine of international circulation, the best known and the best read one among the member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie.    

According to Neagu, the last issue of the publication, recently printed, was dedicated to Moldova. ‘’This volume comprises diverse articles about the political and cultural situation in Moldova, evolution of the state after the independence, analyses about the country’s geopolitical identity, Diaspora, implantation of the Francophonie and many other subjects tackled by authors of Moldova and from abroad,’’ Maria Neagu said.  

In his speech, the state secretary in the culture sector, Andrei Chistol, said that the level of Moldova’s cooperation with the francophone countries is pretty high, with a telling example in this respect being a concert given at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 19 March evening, in which Education, Culture and Research Minister Monica Babuc, as well as more ambassadors participated. The official thanked for the assistance provided by France to Moldova to develop the national cinematography, for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage, as well as in the education sector.

In the context, first adviser at the Embassy of France to Moldova Serge Casseri, said that the cultural relations between the two countries are continuously developing and a proof represents the fact that the last number of the magazine launched is dedicated almost entirely to Moldova.  

For her part, the director of the National Library, Elena Pintilei, stressed that the institution she leads each year participates in cultural events organized in the context of the International Francophonie Day with all the nicest things they have. This time, Pintilei noted, the library inaugurated an exhibition of Francophone books from the institution’s collections, which comprises 180 book titles: encyclopedias, dictionaries, rare editions, the oldest book in the French language being from 1638. Also here, a painting exhibition of fine artist Eugeniu Gorean was opened. Some of his works were inserted in the last number of the magazine L’Année Francophone Internationale. The exhibition will be opened during ten days.     

Each year on 20 March, the International Organization of La Francophonie marks the International Francophonie Day through diverse cultural actions. The organization comprises 84 states (58 member states and 26 ones with status of observer), distributed on the five continents and French is the second international language. In 1997, Moldova became member of the International Organization of La Francophonie.  

(Reporter N. Roibu, editor M. Jantovan)