Delegation of MAU as an Honored Guest at the National Day of the Mujahid in Algeria
NEW PROGRAMS OF CULTURAL COOPERATION BETWEEN SERBIA AND ALGERIA
On the occasion of the celebration of National Day of the Mujahid in Algeria, the Minister of Mujahid and Right Holders, Laid Rebiga, warmly welcomed Marija Aleksić, PhD, Director of the Museum of African Art in Belgrade. Her visit to Algeria was organized with the aim of strengthening partnerships and cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture.
During the meeting, the possibilities of establishing cooperation between the Algerian National Museum of Mujahid and the Belgrade Museum of African Art were discussed. The agenda included implementing various projects related to shared memory, exchanging experiences in museum management, organizing professional visits to learn about different contemporary museum practices and technologies, and preparing a special program to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian Revolution.
Minister Rebiga emphasized the significance of the visit by the Serbian official and the accompanying delegation to Algeria, given the privileged historical relations that unite these two countries, especially during the national liberation revolution. Marija Aleksić expressed her satisfaction and gratitude for the opportunity to visit Algeria with her team of associates, considering the deep relations between our two countries, established during the time of Zdravko Pečar, a Yugoslav diplomat, war journalist, researcher, writer, and later the founder of the Museum of African Art in Belgrade.
The delegation of the Museum of African Art, which also included Ana Knežević, MAU curator, and Nemanja Radonjić, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, visited numerous museums in the cities of Algiers, Oran, and Ain Temouchent, as well as other cultural monuments, historical, and tourist sites.
Minister Laid Rebiga and Marija Aleksić planted a tree in front of the new rehabilitation center for veterans in Beni Saf as a symbol of Serbian-Algerian friendship. He also presented her with a special plaque in gratitude for the assistance that our country provided to Algeria during the War for Independence. A particularly emotional moment was the encounter with one of the Algerian veterans, Ben Safia Laarbi, who warmly shared his memories of the days spent receiving treatment in Yugoslavia in 1960, thanks to the efforts of the Red Cross.
During the visit to the National Museum of Mujahid in Algiers and learning about the museum's programs and organization, our team was given a tour of the permanent exhibition that showcases the history of Algeria's struggle for independence. This was followed by a working meeting on professional cooperation and exchange, as well as a discussion on the roles of Zdravko Pečar and Veda Zagorac in the Algerian Revolution. Many of the items on display were familiar to us thanks to the writings and research of Zdravko Pečar, including the camera and objects that belonged to the famous Stevan Labudović.
The team from the Museum of African Art extends its gratitude to the Algerian Ministry of Mujahid and Right Holders, Minister Laid Rebiga, Lias Nait kaci, Director of the National Museum of Mujahid, and Fatima Aouine, Coordinator for International Cooperation, as well as the Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria in Belgrade, and Ambassador Fatah Mahraz, for the exceptional organization of this visit.
