LUSAKA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- France on Thursday pledged to help Zambia construct an amphitheater in order to help the southern African nation promote its tourism as well as arts and culture.

Sylvain Berger, French ambassador to Zambia, made the pledge when he paid a courtesy call to Minister of Tourism and Arts Charles Banda.

The French envoy said his country has enjoyed bilateral relations with Zambia spanning 55 years and that the two countries have worked closely together in various areas of economic development.

He said supporting the construction of an amphitheater was part of France's already existing support of the promotion of arts and culture in Zambia, adding that his government has been supporting the National Arts Council (NAC) through various capacity building programs.

France, he said, has also been involved in supporting conservation initiatives in the Kasanka National Park in the central part of Zambia, home to the world's largest mammal migration of bats.

For his part, the Zambian minister thanked France for its plans to help the southern African nation construct an amphitheater, saying it will help popularize arts and culture.

He said his ministry would make every effort to ensure the amphitheater is built in a central location, adding that it will also be used as a center of arts and culture and other tourism-related activities that will help grow the sector.