The 15^th anniversary of the French Institute in Nis was celebrated. The French Institute is part of the 130 French institutes in the world. In Serbia, the French institute is located in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis. The mission of the French Institute is to reinforce the French language in Serbia in education (schools, trainings, universities), to enable students to go and study in France: give them an opportunity for mobility in Europe, to encourage society debates, to provide a resource center, to stand as a cultural actor in Serbia, to advise Serbia in its integration process in the European Union and institutional cooperation.  At the ceremony on this worthy anniversary the audience was addressed by H.E. the Ambassador of France to Serbia, Frederik Mondoloni, and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. Since its establishment on April 16^th, 2003, the French Cultural Center – now the French Institute in Serbia is more than ever present in the field of culture, science and university cooperation. As the part of the celebration the exhibition of paintings Aleksandra Miric was organized.

The city forum was held on the subject of Serbian-French relations and a long-standing friendship between two nations on the occasion of the 15^th anniversary of the French Institute in Nis. At the Forum H.E. French Ambassador to Serbia Frederik Mondoloni, Dr Aleksandra Mirić, an artist from Nis, and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic spoke about Serbian-French relations. Ambassador Mondoloni thanked evryone for the brilliant reception in Nis and expressed his satisfaction with the fact that France was very much represented in Nis.
The Mayor talked about the current relations with the City of Arles with a special emphasis on friendship and the exchange of experiences. Ms. Aleksandra Miric, who completed her PhD studies from architecture and archeology, spoke about her experience of studying in France.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and his associates met today with His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of France to Serbia Mr. Frederik Mondolini, who visited Nis on the occasion of celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the French Institute in Nis. The Mayor and Ambassador discussed the cooperation and long-standing friendship between France and Serbia, as well as the importance of the existence of the French Institute, which has been successfully working in Nis for 15 years. The Ambassador thanked the Mayor for the wholehearted support that the City of Nis has been providing to the institute, which is important for the spread of French culture and bringing together two nations. The two officials also discussed the projects that Nis have been implementing with the City of Arl  in the area of valorization of cultural and historical heritage, but also about the projects that would be carried out in connection with archaeological excavations inside Nis Fortress. In this way, the conditions will be created for the cultural treasures of Nis to facilitate city development presenting our culture and history.