French Envoy stresses on cooperation for dev in Puducherry

On a week-long visit here, French Ambassador to India Francois Richier today laid emphasis on cooperation between France and the Union Territory of Puducherry in fields like education and tourism.
The Union Territory has greater scope for development through cooperation between France and Puducherry in the fields of education, tourism and other sectors, he told reporters after meeting LT Governor Iqbal Singh and Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
Asked about the meeting, Richier said he discussed several cooperative projects particularly in education and also to promote heritage preservation in Puducherry.
"We also discussed the scope for French investment in Puducherry and the modalities to attract the investors. Urban development planning in Puducherry with focus on water, electricity and other sectors also offer lot of opportunities," he said.

The French Ambassador said he would meet students of Pondicherry Central University on May 10 to acquaint them with opportunities available to take up courses in France. "...We would also look at the heritage preservation projects in association with INTACH here."
Rangasamy handed over mementos to the Ambassador and the French Consul General Pierre Fornier at the meeting.

Referring to his visit to Karaikal tomorrow, the French Ambassador said he would meet the 500 odd French nationals residing there as part of his initiatives to push several developmental projects and promotion of facilities of buildings for French school there.
"We will bring French teachers to Karaikal and our initiatives would include promotion of urban development scheme and promotion of micro finance scheme to help the poor in the French community. Once this is successful for French community it could be broad-based to cover others," he said.

This is the first time a French Ambassador would be visiting Karaikal in the last two decades.