The twinning convention was signed by the mayor of  Creil , Jean – Claude Villemain , and the president of the  town council of Dakhla , Sloh Joumani , the Moroccan general council at Pontoise  Mr  Said lahmiri and representatives of the Moroccan Embassy in  France were  among others present

 The agreement foresees the reinforcement of the cultural cooperation and exchange of youth between the two towns. It equally establishes the birth of the future youth international festival , of which the first edition will be organized during July 2011 at Dakhla.

 During this official ceremony Mr Jean – Claude Villeman expressed his happiness for the signature of this convention which was “the fruit of intense work and exchanges which allow us to consider a true decentralised policy of cooperation”

 He indicated that during hid visit to Dakhla in October 2009, he was given the opportunity to identify a number of ways of reflexion and work. “Culture, French language, education citizenship, and the social action are areas of collaboration which are to be developed for the sake of our inhabitants “ he noted .

 The French official made it clear to the MAP to have noticed during his visit to Dakhla “ a strong dynamism of development particularly in the fields of town planning, accommodation and economic development”

 “ this convention represents plenty of hope and friendship which he hopes will be at the same level of twinning  conventions concluded between  Creil and the towns of  Pendle ( UK), Marl ( Germany)  and  Chorzow ( Poland) .

 Mr Villeman greeted Dakhla’s initiative to organize the first edition of the youth festival and promised to spare no effort to support it .

 “ this  preposition  which prepares the future and opens up the youth to the world is of a great utility in this time of crisis , where the  withdrawal to oneself and the  fear of the other take every day a little bit more in the room of the collective life , and therefore destroy it from within” he concluded

 As to  Mr  Joumani he expressed his happiness for the signature of this agreement and thanked the mayor of  Creil for his enthusiasm and support to the  festival project, in addition to the representatives of the other twinning towns who have accepted the  invitation to take part in the festival .

 Pointing out the opening of the inhabitants of Dakhla and Moroccans in general on different cultures, Mr  Joumani asserted that “the town , and its inhabitants will be honoured to welcome delegations from the twinning towns with   Creil and  spares no effort to be well received”
 As to the Moroccan general council in Pontoise he expressed his joy to the conclusion of such twinning and the initiative of t Mr  Villemain to give the honour to the town of Dakhla to become the meeting point of the twinning towns with  Creil

 He underlined the broad “shared ambition” of the towns of Dakhla and Creil which is a the level of the strong and unique friendship which unites Morocco and France”

 “ the relation between  the two countries  have been strong for a long time , but today they are strengthening on daily basis, and the convention of twinning is nothing but a prove of such solid relation” he asserted  that “ Morocco will be happy  and will have the privilege to  organize this big youth festival at Dakhla”.

 The initiative of the festival which should gather  at Dakhla around 70 youngsters between  15 and 20 years old was favourably welcomed by the mayors and the representatives of the twinning towns “

 A Palestinian delegation which represents the town of Bethlehem and the Qaddaoura camp equally twined with the French town has highly appreciated the invitation of the mayor of Dakhla asserting that such initiative can break the blockade imposed on Palestinians

 Situated in the department of Oise and the Picardie region Creil is an industrial town which welcomes a Moroccan community, the counsel of the town includes six members of Moroccan origin of whom the vice mayor Hassan Bouaddi and the advisor in charge of decentralised cooperation Mohammed assamti , who have underlined the promising perspectives that such twinning with Dakhla  can offer.

Source: MAP
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