"Francophonie Week-2010" opened at the Turkmen National Music and Drama Theatre named after Makhtumkuli in Ashgabat on March 26. The traditional cultural event has been organized by the Embassy of France in Turkmenistan in cooperation with the Embassies of Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Poland, Romania, with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan.

The programme of event includes an exhibition featuring various information materials on French history and culture, as well as a demonstration of the film "On the last breath" in French directed by Jean-Luc Godard (1960).

In addition, presentations and master classes by the French artist and sculptor Sire Papa Dime will be held at the Turkmen State University named after Makhtumkuli, the Turkmen National Institute for World Languages named after D. Azadi, as well as secondary specialized school N 27 as part of the "Francophonie Week". By tradition, the festival program includes a number of contests among reciters, painters, connoisseurs of the French language, the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat.

The International Day of Francophonie is a festival of all French-speaking people, as well as those studying France. It is celebrated in honor of the signing of the agreement establishing the first intergovernmental organization of French-speaking countries on March 20, 1970.