Embassy of France, Washington, D.C.

French Embassy, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°54′49.27″N 77°4′40.63″W / 38.9136861°N 77.0779528°W / 38.9136861; -77.0779528Coordinates: 38°54′49.27″N 77°4′40.63″W / 38.9136861°N 77.0779528°W / 38.9136861; -77.0779528
Location Washington, D.C.
Address 4101 Reservoir Road, N.W.
Ambassador Gérard Araud
Old French Embassy in Washington, DC in 1917

The Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. is the primary French diplomatic mission to the United States.

It is located at 4101 Reservoir Road, Northwest, Washington, D.C., just north of Georgetown University.[1] The embassy opened in 1984. With some 400 staffers, it is France's largest foreign embassy. The embassy represents the interests of France and French citizens in the United States and conducts the majority of diplomatic work on such interests within the USA.

Structure

The embassy is headed by the French Ambassador to the United States, currently Gérard Araud. The French ambassador's residence is located in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The building served as the French chancery from 1936–1985.

In addition to the standard diplomatic facilities, the compound has La Maison Française a cultural facility consisting of an auditorium, ballroom, and exhibition hall. Like many embassies, it regularly hosts events for the general public including concerts (e.g. baroque, classical, jazz, contemporary, pop and alternative music), cinéma, dance, exhibitions, lectures and theatre.

Services

The embassy operates several services and offices, responsible for different areas of policy and liaising with the relevant American bodies, the most notable of whom are listed below.

Chancery

The Chancery is the main diplomatic and political body. It is responsible for coordination with the American government on matters, particularly foreign policy, that affect France, however, the majority of the diplomacy is conducted by the ambassador, leaving the chancery to liaise with the French government and coordinate with the Press Service in matters of public policy. The diplomats of the chancery take responsibility for a specific policy area and may stand in for the ambassador in his absence. The Chancery has attaches based in each of the ten regional consulates.[2]

Press and Communications Office

The Press Service is responsible for the publication of the embassy's newsletter and magazine, as well as coordinating press releases and conferences, including the provision of designated spokesmen. The office also monitors American press coverage of issues pertaining to France and reports back to the ambassador and to Paris.[3]

The Offices of the Defence and Armament Attaches

These offices promote cooperation between the two countries on military and defence matters. The primary responsibility of the former is to facilitate liaison between the two government departments and the two nations' militaries, while latter oversees cooperation on matters of armaments and has responsibility for arms spending in the US as well as working with the US to develop new military technology. Both offices have a role to play in keeping the ambassador abreast of current defence issues and advising the Pentagon on French defence policy.[4]

French ambassador's residence

The Cultural Service

The Cultural Services of the embassy is located at 972 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. Its responsibility is in facilitating "cultural exchange" between the two nations, a role that can be creative, informative or merely administrative. The duties of the service include promoting French creative works in cultural and academic institutions across France, with the help of the attaches in regional consulates.[5]

The Office of Science and Technology

The Office of Science and Technology (OS&T) is tasked to:

OS&T is an active, reactive and proactive observer of the scientific activity, of technological innovations and their impacts on the US society and beyond. OS&T headquarters are at the Embassy in Washington D.C., and teams at French consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco. OS&T operates in close contact with French research agencies, universities and engineering schools, competitiveness clusters.

The Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs

This is the office primarily concerned with maintaining and developing new trade links between the countries. For example, it assists French businesses trying to establish themselves in the USA and vice versa. It also continues businesses, large and small, which have long since established themselves in the American market by providing support and advice on economic and trade policies, both within the US and in France.[7]

The French Treasury Office

This office represents the French Treasury in the United States and Canada. It works in close partnership with the Federal Reserve, the Department of the Treasury and French and American financial institutions. Its role is in developing French economic policy in conjunction with those bodies and in explaining those policies to the United States. It has two offices, one in the embassy and a second in New York, from where it can work with Wall Street in order to better develop monetary policy.[8]

Consulates

The ambassador is also ultimately responsible for the 10 regional consulates:[9]

  1. Consulate General of France in Atlanta for the South-Eastern states[10]
  2. Consulate General of France in Boston representing the far North- Eastern states[11]
  3. Consulate General of France in Chicago covering the largest number of states, representing the North and West[12]
  4. Consulate General of France in Houston for Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas[13]
  5. Consulate General of France in Los Angeles Covering the remaining south-western states and the remainder of California and Nevada[14]
  6. Consulate General of France in Miami for Florida[15]
  7. Consulate General of France in New Orleans for Louisiana[16]
  8. Consulate General of France in New York for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut[17]
  9. Consulate General of France in San Francisco for the South- West, including the northern halves of California and Nevada[18]
  10. Consulate General of France in Washington for DC and surrounding states[19]

See also

References

Notes

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