Under the enlightened leadership of our two Heads of State, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, and President Macky Sall, “our two nations continue to write this very special and precious history”, stressed Bensaid in his speech at the official opening ceremony of the 12th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Cultures (FESNAC), which has opted for Morocco to be its guest of honor this year.

In this regard, he recalled that His Majesty the King, who grants Senegal a unique place, delivered the speech marking the 41st anniversary of the Green March in 2016 from the capital Dakar, pointing out that this sister country has seen eight official visits by the Sovereign, a strong sign of this shared history.

“This Moroccan-Senegalese relationship draws on our mutual heritage and uniqueness,” he noted, highlighting the role of culture, in its various dimensions – heritage, history and identity – in strengthening the special ties between the two brotherly countries.

The Minister added that culture plays a decisive role, “by promoting, nurturing and making the world aware of our arts and artists, our ancient heritage and our present-day creations, we are consolidating our presence in the world, through our cultural sovereignty”.

In addition, Bensaid affirmed that Senegal and Morocco, together with their friends and neighbors, now have the vocation of paving the way for an Afro-Atlantic community of cooperation and emergence, rooted and open, dynamic and true to itself.

Referring to the role of African youth, Bensaid noted that these young people are dynamic, increasingly educated and open-minded. Above all, they are aware of their value, their dignity and their importance, pointing out that this dignity is drawn, and will increasingly be drawn in the future, from their culture, their heritage and their creations.