09/14/2025
It was a great pleasure and honor to welcome our new Consul General of France in Houston, Monsieur Frank Marchetti, for our first meeting, in the presence of our Vice-Consul, Monsieur François Chassaigne-Audouin. Coming from Ottawa, Monsieur le Consul Général brings with him a wealth of experience, and I am delighted to begin working hand in hand with him to strengthen the existing bilateral ties between France and our communities and partners in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
During our exchange, we had the opportunity to start addressing several important themes for our French community and for France in our circonscription:
✅Community & Services: discussing the evolution of our French population across the three states and continuing to work together to further enhance the already strong services provided by the Consulate, the chancellerie and to support our local associations (such as the Accueils).
✅Cultural Diplomacy: underscoring the importance (and the remarkable work already accomplished) by our cultural network, notably through the Alliances Françaises, as a powerful vehicle to promote Francophonie and nurture the deep cultural ties with the large Francophile population in our states.
✅Education in French: ensuring that education in French remains accessible, whether through our international schools, Alliance Française programs, FLAM initiatives, or the few public options available.
✅Economic Cooperation: strengthening and expanding our economic ties through the French-American Chamber of Commerce and French Tech networks, the dynamism of our CCEF, Business France, and the growing community of French alumni.
✅Support in Times of Distress: reaffirming our structured cooperation since 2021 to assist our French citizens in moments of difficulty, alongside the remarkable work carried out and in close partnership with our local organization SOS French in Texas.
We look forward to closely working with you, Monsieur le Consul Général, to continue building on our momentum and seizing the many opportunities that lie ahead for our French community and our French-American friendship