Mayor Johnson is continuing his visit to France, after a full day of meetings with tech innovators, economic leaders, and political officials on Wednesday.
As previously covered by The Dallas Express, Johnson arrived in France on Sunday and is spending the week there to build relationships between Dallas and France. On Tuesday, he met with leaders in Dallas’ sister city of Dijon.
He traveled back to Paris Wednesday morning to meet with more officials, according to a press release sent from the mayor’s office to The Dallas Express.
First, he met with leadership from Air Liquide — a leading innovator in the gas, technology, and service sectors. The company shared its accomplishments and vision for its future, while Mayor Johnson “shared the Dallas story and why companies are choosing to relocate to Dallas.”
Johnson then met with the U.S. Ambassador to France, Denise Campbell Bauer, and discussed “academic exchanges, subnational diplomacy, and the importance of meeting in person to truly solidify relationships.”
Bauer shared with Johnson details about programs such as the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program and Select USA, which are designed to “assist American students and companies in expanding internationally.”
The mayor then visited the public sector investment bank Bpifrance (Banque Publique d’Investissement-France), which aims to “create a decentralized environment for entrepreneurs to thrive and succeed in future markets.”
After a discussion with Bpifrance that “highlighted the importance of identifying and creating the right opportunities for companies to succeed,” Johnson invited bank representatives to visit Dallas and meet with local business leaders.
Finally, Johnson met with Olivier Becht, Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, and French Nationals Abroad. Becht thanked Johnson for helping launch the French Trade Office in Dallas and expressed admiration for the Mayor’s International Advisory Council (MIAC).
Johnson and Becht “expanded on how to continue deepening the relationship between Dallas and France and the importance of France having a physical presence in Dallas.” Becht said he is committed to finding opportunities for Dallas and France to work together, and Johnson invited Becht to bring a delegation to Dallas in the “very near future.”