French minister announces new Alliance Francaise branches in Udaipur, Bhubaneswar

NEW DELHI: Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, French minister of state for development, francophonie and international partnerships, has announced the opening of two new branches in Udaipur and Bhubaneswar. The Alliance française of Jaipur will open a branch in Udaipur, and the Alliance française du Bengale will open a branch in Bhubaneswar.

“It is very important to speak about academic cooperation between India and France. French is a language of opportunities and cultural exchanges. The French language represents a special connection between France and India. French is the most learned foreign language in India, with approximately 6,00,000 learners across the country," said the minister in an official statement.

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Expanding French teaching in India goes parallel with France’s goal to welcome 20,000 Indian students by 2025, and 30,000 by 2030. On July 14, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris, France announced the decision to start international classes to ensure smooth integration of Indian students in French academic programmes.

In 2024, France will host the Francophonie Summit. The “Organisation international de la Francophonie” is an international organisation comprising 88 member states. MoS Zacharopoulou highlighted that the French language does not belong to France alone, but also to a global community of more than 300 million speakers across five continents.