Visit of Mr Edouard Courtial, Minister of State for Overseas French Affairs, 18-19 January 2012
Visit to India of Hon’ble French Minister of State for Overseas French Affairs, Mr Edouard Courtial
18 - 20 January 2012
Mr Édouard Courtial, Minister of State for Overseas French Affairs, is visiting India from 17 to 20 January 2012, where a large French community is settled. More than 9000 persons are registered in India in the register of French nationals established outside France.
- Mr Courtial, Minister of state for Overseas French Affairs, Mr Fournier, Consul general of France in Puducherry and Mr Richier, Ambassador of France to India visiting French victims of cyclone Thane
Mr Courtial was in Puducherry on Wednesday, 18 January, where he called on the families of the victims of cyclone Thane, which wreaked much damage in its wake on 30 December 2011. Mr Courtial expressed France’ solidarity with victims of the disaster. He visited the Consulate General of France and the French Institute of Puducherry (IFP), and met the French community. He had an appointment with Thiru. A. Rangasamy, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Puducherry, one of the territories of the Indian Union.
To see more photographs of Mr Courtial’s visit to French vicitms, click here.
On Thursday, 19 January, Mr Courtial attended a ceremony at the Monument aux Morts, the French war memorial, and met students as well as their parents, and the teachers of the 950-strong French high school, Lycée français de Pondicherry. He also met H.E. Dr Iqbal Singh, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Puducherry.
In Bangalore, which was his final stop in India, Mr Courtial visited the various sections of the Consulate General of France and the Alliance française. He also met the French community.
H.E.M. François Richier, Ambassador of France to India, accompanied him during his visit.