The Ambassador of France to the United States, His Excellency Mister Pierre Vimont, will visit Atlanta on January 28, 2010. The purpose of his visit is three-fold: to bestow the Legion of Honor upon ten American WWII Veterans from the Southeast United States; to celebrate, with his German counterpart, the Franco-German friendship through the opening of the joint offices of the cultural centers Alliance française and Goethe Zentrum; and to bring awareness about the Transatlantic relations now that the Lisbon Treaty has taken effect.

At 11:15 am, H.E.M. Pierre Vimont and his German counterpart, Dr. Klaus Scharioth, will give a presentation at the Georgia Institute of Technology entitled “The European-American Agenda”. (Tennenbaum Auditorium, 759 Ferst Drive). This presentation will be followed by a luncheon sponsored by the Atlanta Council for International Relations at the Capital City Club on “The 2010s: a new decade for Transatlantic relations” (7 Harris Street Northwest). Both presentations will present the EU-US relations in light of the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty provides the European Union with modern institutions and optimized working methods to both efficiently and effectively tackle challenges in today's world.

At 3:00pm, at the Georgia State Capitol (North Wing of the main floor), The French Ambassador will bestow the Legion of Honor upon ten American WWII veterans. Crawford Ferguson (Charlotte, NC), Leonard A. Gardner (Myrtle Beach, SC), Ken L. Faulkner (Birmingham, AL), Willie E. Lambert (Dawsonville, GA), Robert P. Mechling (Brentwood, TN), James L. Miller (Byhalia, MS) and Marsh C. Pickett (Greenwood, MS) have confirmed their presence. Also James Brothers from Elisabeth City, NC will be represented by a family member. The National Order of the Legion of Honor is the highest honor in France and recipients of this honor are designated by the President of the Republic. They will receive this award in recognition for their courage. Among their many heroic deeds, they participated in the Normandy landings, which were decisive in the liberation of France.

At 5:30 pm, The French and German Ambassadors will participate in the official opening ceremony of the joint offices of the cultural centers Alliance Française and Goethe Zentrum to take place at Colony Square (1197 Peachtree St., NE - Atlanta, Georgia 30361). This is the first time in the United States that these two cultural institutions, which have many representations in the country, have decided to live and work together under the same roof. This ceremony symbolizes the Franco-German friendship, which was institutionalized in 1963. Since the Treaty on Franco-German cooperation (also known as the treaty of the Elysée), signed by General de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer, France and Germany have been involved in an unprecedented economic, political and cultural cooperation at the European level and worldwide.

www.consulfrance-atlanta.org