French institute president embarks on official visit to Morocco in june 2026
Anne-Claire Legendre, newly appointed president of the Institut du monde arabe (IMA), will undertake her first official visit to Morocco from June 19 to 24, 2026. The trip, extended at the invitation of Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, aims to solidify a joint cultural roadmap between the Paris-based institution and Moroccan authorities.
An agenda focused on cultural cooperation
The six-day program will take Legendre through Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, where she will meet with key figures from Morocco’s cultural and creative sectors. These engagements follow a productive preliminary meeting held in Paris earlier this year, during which she and Bensaid outlined priorities for future collaboration. The discussions highlighted emerging cultural industries such as animation, comics, Arabic-language publishing, and cinema as focal points for deeper partnership.
Building on strengthened bilateral ties
This visit reflects the momentum in Moroccan-French relations, particularly after recent high-level exchanges, including the state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco. The partnership extends beyond cultural exchanges, encompassing initiatives under the Enhanced Exceptional Partnership framework endorsed by King Mohammed VI and Macron.
Legendre, who assumed leadership of the IMA in February 2026, is the first woman to hold this position in the institution’s history. Prior to her appointment, she served as advisor to the French president on North Africa and the Middle East, bringing a strategic perspective to her new role. The IMA, founded in 1980 under the patronage of the Arab League, serves as a bridge between France, Europe, and the Arab world, fostering dialogue and collaboration across diverse cultural landscapes.
This upcoming visit will further cement these efforts, with Legendre engaging directly with Moroccan cultural institutions and creative professionals to implement the outlined roadmap and explore new avenues for cooperation.
