Anne-Marie Descôtes, secretary general of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, alongside French Ambassador Marie Fontanel, inaugurated the new premises of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and in Micronesia on Dec. 9, 2024.
The ceremony was attended by Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ariel Peñaranda, Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, Ayala Corp. Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, and heads of missions of European Union member states.
In January, the Embassy of France moved to its new location on the 21st floor of Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2, at Paseo de Roxas corner Makati Avenue in Makati City.
The modern premises aim to enhance the quality of services provided by the embassy to the public and improve working conditions for its staff, which has grown in recent months with the establishment of a full-fledged defense mission.
The inauguration of the new embassy and the visit of Descôtes, who represented the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, coincided with the reopening of the Paris-Manila direct flight and the launch of Philippine Week in Paris.
Descôtes arrived in Manila on Dec. 8 aboard the maiden Paris-Manila flight operated by Air France. A delegation of Philippine officials from the Department of Tourism, Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Science and Technology, and Philippine Coast Guard joined the first outbound flight from Manila that evening for high-level meetings with their French counterparts.
Philippine Week in Paris, held from Dec. 9 to 13, aims to explore new avenues for cooperation in sectors such as maritime, trade, tourism, development, higher education, and research.
