BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne is leading a delegation of Louisiana'seducation and economic development leaders on a 10-day trip to France and Belgium.

The visit begins Monday. It's designed to strengthen cultural and business ties with the francophone nations.

During the trip, the state will renew its accords with both countries. Those documents affirm cooperation with Louisianafor educational training and also highlight the state's French heritage.

The visit includes business meetings, a dinner with French tour operators and a discussion with the United Nation's cultural agency about the nomination of Louisiana'sPoverty Point State Historic Site to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Dardenne said several dozen people will be in the state's delegation, a handful of them at taxpayer expense. The trip ends Oct. 25.

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