Bulgarian Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov and Jean-Luc Martinez, director of the Louvre, signed a new five-year cooperation agreement between the culture ministry and the French museum.

This happened in Paris on Thursday during the working visit of Rashidov to France, the culture ministry informs.

The document foresees the development of joint projects, new Bulgarian exhibitions at the Louvre, the display of art from the French museum in Bulgaria, joint archaeological studies, cooperation in the fight against the trafficking of cultural property, exchanging and training of specialists from both countries.

The agreement also envisages active cooperation in the scientific research of Greek, Etruscan, Roman antiques and Oriental artifacts.

The two sides also agreed to continue the Bulgarian-French archaeological expedition “Apollonia-Pontica” in Sozopol with the participation of Bulgaria’s National archaeological institute and renowned French researchers.

Martinez noted the energy and personal contribution of Rashidov for the realization of last year’s successful exhibition of Thracian treasures entitled “The epic of the Thracian kings”, which constituted the first Bulgarian exhibition at the Louvre and attracted millions of visitors.

He proposed the next Bulgarian exhibition at the Louvre to be entitled “The age of Bulgarian tsars from IX to XIII centuries”, displaying masterpieces from Christian Bulgaria.

In the long term, the Louvre might host an exhibition of precious Ottoman archives belonging to the Bulgarian national library.

Martinez expressed the firm support of the Louvre for the cultural programme of Bulgaria during the country’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2018.

The French museum has readiness to exhibit sixty valuable Renaissance paintings in Sofia during the Bulgarian presidency.

At present negotiations are taking place for the Bulgarian national opera to stage a performance in Paris.