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The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs officially launched the new website of the French network of cultural action and influence abroad, LatitudeFrance, on Friday, 19 March, at the Convention Centre, in the presence of Secretary-General Pierre Sellal.

France’s global network of external action encompasses, in more than 160 countries, embassies, French cultural centres and Instituts français, Alliances françaises, French research institutes abroad, archaeological missions as well as agencies of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: CulturesFrance, CampusFrance, French Development Agency, Ubifrance, Agency for French Teaching Abroad, Canal France International, France Coopération Internationale and Egide.

LatitudeFrance aims at promoting, on the Internet, the attractiveness, diversity and complementary nature of France’s resources in terms of development assistance, decentralized cultural, economic, linguistic, university, intellectual, scientific and technical cooperation. This new tool supports the modernization of the working methods of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and in particular the regrouping of the cultural institutions and services under a common identity.

Complementing the France Diplomatie site (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr), LatitudeFrance aims, through a news web magazine, to make projects carried out abroad more visible and understandable to the general public, media and French representatives.

The external action network organizes more than 50,000 events a year throughout the world, with the help of its local agencies and partners; it now provides a vibrant and practical overview of the range of its activities through the website.