In the National Library of the RK there took place the meeting of Director-General of the National library RK  G.K. Balabekova with the representatives of the Embassy of France in Kazakhstan, French Institute on research of Central Asia (IFEAC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. 

   There were Mr.Johel Savari,  the Director of Departament  of Art and print production, Management of cultural policy and French language of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jahn –Fransua Geganno,  Director of the department of development and partners’ cooperation of the French Institute;  Yohann Yures, the Counsel on matters of Culture of the Embassy of France. 

   The National  library of the RK and the Embassy of  France are joined by long past  and  close relations  of friendship.  Before  the Year of Culture of France in Kazakhstan (2013) and  the Year of Culture of  Kazakhstan  in  France (2014) there were  discussed the  possibilities  of  realization of  joint  projects, which we could  relate  into  the  programme “The crossed  seasons   France-Kazakhstan   2013-2014.”  One  of  these   projects  is  the  project  of  publishing the catalogue  “The masterpieces of  French  literature in the collections of the  National Library  of  the  RK.

  During  the  excursion  the guests  became acquainted  with  collection  of  the  Department  of  rare  books  and manuscripts  and  Department   of  world  literature.  The  collection  of   French  rare  books  of   the  National   library  of  the  RK  contains  about  7800 copies,  from  them  1800  in  the  fond  of  rare books  and manuscripts. Books are dated  from  1659  to the  beginning   of  the  XX -th  century.

  The   earliest publication: “Oleary  Adam”.  Continuation  of  the account `about  to Moscoviya, Tatariya  and Persiya” (1659); “Journal  des  scavans”(1679).  There are works  of Voltaire, J.J.Rousseau,  Diderot, Hugo, Moliere, encyclopaedias,  publications on history, geography  and other  branches of knowledge.