Pierre Vimont, ambassador of France to the United States, kicked off the first St. Louis French Festival Feb. 24 with his lecture, “Franco-American Cooperation in the Middle East,” at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. More than 175 people packed into the Century Rooms in the Millennium Student Center to hear him.
“Ambassador Vimont gave a very candid and detailed assessment on how France and the U.S. are cooperating in the Middle East,” said Joel Glassman, academic director for the Center for International Affairs at UMSL. “He provided answers to questions about issues of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.”
Vimont was appointed ambassador to the U.S. by Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, in 2007.
The St. Louis French Festival was held Feb. 24 to March 1 and touted cultural experiences with a uniquely French flair. Vimont’s lecture was sponsored by the Center for International Studies at UMSL and Alliance Francaise de St. Louis.
