President Mohamed Nasheed has yesterday inaugurated the new premises of the Alliance Française at National Arts Gallery.
Alliance Française is an organisation whose mission is to promote French language and culture in the world. Its primary concern is teaching French as a second language.
Speaking at the ceremony held at National Art Gallery, President Nasheed said the Maldives has had a long relationship and connections with France since 1700s.
He noted that Maldivians who wanted to regain the Maldives’ independence from Malabar who occupied Male’ in 1800s had the assistance of French garrison in Pondicherry.
“Since then we have, of course, had very close contact and touch with French nationals. There are a number of references to that relationship in many libraries in France,” he said.
He said with the introduction of democracy, the Maldives was turning over a new leaf, and begun seeking friends are more familiar with “what we have become and what we are trying to become, which is more democratic, more liberal, and more free.”
Further, he said that the first of the French development assistance to the Maldives would begin simultaneously with the inauguration of Alliance Française in Male’.
Noting the Maldives’ promotion to a middle income country, he said “we want to stand up to that. We do not want aid.”
“But we want more understanding and we want trade. It is not aid that we are seeking. But it is friendship and understanding that we are looking for,” he added.
The event was attended by French Ambassador to the Maldives Christine Robichon and Captains and Officers of two French naval ships that are currently visiting the Maldives.
The event also celebrated the opening of the first ever French Film Festival be held in the Maldives.