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News
On 19 February, the Ambassador of the French Republic to Latvia, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, paid an introductory visit to Jelgava together with representatives of the French Embassy and the French Institute. During the visit, the Ambassador met with the leadership of the City of Jelgava and became acquainted with the city’s business, education, and cultural environment, discussing opportunities for future cooperation. The Ambassador highly praised Jelgava’s long-standing and successful cooperation with its twin city Rueil-Malmaison in France.
During the meeting with the city’s leadership, opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation with the French Embassy and Institute in Latvia, as well as with French partners, were discussed. The city representatives introduced the development of the industrial park and the city’s economic profile, highlighting the potential of various sectors, including education and research. Cooperation opportunities in innovation, sustainable solutions, and the development of high value-added products were also explored.
As part of the visit, the Ambassador toured the Ģederts Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum, where he viewed the exhibition “In the Movement of the Soul” by French textile artist Laurine Malengreau, currently on display in the museum’s exhibition hall. The exhibition will be open until 1 April, and a meeting with the artist is scheduled at the museum on 13 March at 3:00 PM.
During his visit to Jelgava Crafts Secondary School, the Ambassador learned about the implementation of vocational education programmes, the school’s experience, and the benefits of cooperation with Jelgava’s twin city Rueil-Malmaison in France. The importance of continuing cooperation between educational institutions in the twin cities was emphasized, as well as promoting international projects that allow young people to broaden their perspectives in their chosen professions, gain experience, and provide opportunities for youth from the twin city to visit and gain experience in Jelgava’s schools.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Ambassador toured Jelgava Palace and the crypts of the Dukes of Courland, learning about Jelgava’s rich history and architectural heritage.
It should be noted that on 18 February, the Ambassador visited Jelgava State Gymnasium, where he met with students who study French as their third elective foreign language in secondary school. During the meeting, students discussed the importance of the French language in education and future career opportunities. On Thursday, the Ambassador also visited SIA “Jelgavas tipogrāfija,” where he learned about the company’s cooperation with French publishing houses. Currently, approximately one-third of the company’s turnover consists of books in French ordered by publishers in France.
The municipality highly values the existing cooperation with French partners and sees broad opportunities for its further development.
