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French President invited to ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ
27 Jun 2023
Over the past few years, French President Emmanuel Macron has demonstrated a strong interest in ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. In April 2018, he had asked then-ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Director-General Bernard Bigot to accompany him on his state visit to the United States. Two years later, in July 2020, he hosted ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ's start-of-machine-assembly ceremony (virtually) that brought together government leaders from China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States.
In Marseille, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Director-General Pietro Barabaschi (left) met on Tuesday 27 June with French President Macron (centre) and invited him to visit ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Also present was Romain Buchaut, the mayor of ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ's "hometown" Saint-Paul-lez-Durance.
Last week, on 27 June, President Macron was in Marseille to inaugurate the replica of the and to deliver an important address at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations () whose architect, incidentally, also designed the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Headquarters building in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance and the International School PACA (EIPACA Manosque) that serves ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ families.
Present at both events, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Director-General Pietro Barabaschi took the opportunity to invite President Macron to visit ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ.