On March 26, Serge Lavroff, Ambassador of France in partnership with Carla Rufeilds Hogan, High Commissioner for Canada, Amer Haidar, Honorary Consul for Lebanon, Paul Williams, Honorary Consul for Belgium, as well as Michelle Khan, Honorary Consul for Switzerland hosted a reception at the residence of the French Ambassador on the occasion of International Francophonie Day 2018.
International Francophonie Day (French: Journée internationale de la Francophonie) is observed within the International Organization of La Francophonie’s 77 member states every March 20 to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture.
Addressing guests at the event, the French Ambassador Serge Lavroff congratulated T&T for the presence of francophonie.
“It is there in the geography, in the many places that carry French names; La Fillette, Matelot, Blanchisseuse, Grande Rivière, Pointe à Pierre, names that we know so well. It is there also in the history and in the names of those who marked the history of this country, like Arthur Andrew Cipriani.
“And it is there also in the culture, as in the world-renowned Carnival, that magic word which appeared for the first time in French in the 16th century,” said the Ambassador.
Today, Francophonie in T&T, the French Ambassador said, is championed by the Alliance Française of Port-of-Spain. He took the opportunity to commend the tremendous work that it does here in serving the French language but also in serving the exchange of our cultures in the Caribbean region.
“I would also like to thank in this regard Toni Blackman, the President of the Board, Wendy Dyemma, the Director and the entire team which brings the Alliance to life with their enthusiasm and efficiency,” said Ambassador Serge Lavroff.
