India, France enhance cooperation in culture, heritage conservation, tourism

Paris: India and France on Friday sought to strengthen cooperation in areas of culture, heritage conservation, tourism as well as people to people contacts.

The two countries signed an administrative arrangement in the field of Cultural Heritage, which envisages cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, through training of Indian heritage conservation professionals at the Institute National du Patrimoine (INP), a higher education establishment of training for curators and restorers in the field of heritage in France, as well as Development of cultural and scientific cooperation in the fields of conservation and restoration of the heritage, short duration training sessions in India by INP trainers in Indian institutes and training of French training in India etc.

It was signed between the Indian Ministry of Culture and French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

India and France also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on tourism, which aims to promote sustainable bilateral tourism between the two countries including through mutual promotion of tourism, ensuring safety of tourists and encouraging sharing of expertise and best practices.

The LoI also seeks to facilitate twinning of sites having historical, natural and cultural significance in India and France for promoting them as tourist destinations.

Another Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) envisages collaboration on preventive archaeology projects, initiatives to disseminate culture and promote archaeology, training programmes for specialists of ASI and deployment of expertise, in particular, in the field of underwater archaeology.

An MoU between School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and National Architecture Institute in Paris, France also envisages cooperation to undertake joint planning and geographical studies in India and France and training of local counterparts in modern urban and regional research as well as in techniques of scientific methods in Urban and regional planning, geography, environment, Building engineering and management.

Further, an MoU between Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCN) and Association Nationale des Villes et Pays d`Art et d`Histoire et villes a secteurs sauvegardes et proteges (`ANVPAH`) seeks to cooperate in the fields of sustainable development, urban planning, heritage conservation and up-gradation of basic services.

A proposal for twinning of historical monuments is covered under the LoI on Tourism Cooperation.

The Volontariat International en Entreprise (VIE) scheme offers Indian Visa for 12 months renewable once for a period of 12 months for 250 French students and a `second residence permit` of 12 months for the Indian students in France following the 12 months already granted.

A Letter of Intent on Ayurveda between Ministry of Ayush and University of Strasbourg allows both the parties to strengthen their relationships and cooperation in the area of Ayurveda education and research by undertaking academic and research activities, exploring feasibility of collaborative research, and drawing up strategies for dissemination of results of completed studies, conducting joint workshops/conferences on Ayurveda as complimentary medicine in France.