French Consulate commemorates WWII Armistice
The Consulate General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai held commemorative ceremonies in Puducherry, Karaikal and Mahe to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War following the surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied Forces in Europe on May 8, 1945.
In line with the principal ceremony at Place de l'Étoile in Paris, presided by French President Emmanuel Macron, the Consulate joined French diplomatic missions elsewhere to mark the anniversary of the Armistice of 1945 and pay tribute to those martyred during the war, a press note from the French Consulate said.
In Karaikal, French Consul General Etienne Rolland-Piegue participated in a procession from Maison de France towards the War Memorial and paid homage to civilians and soldiers who lost their lives in the war.
Soma Sekhar Apparao, Karaikal Collector, government officials, Councillors for the French Living abroad, associations of former soldiers and civilians of Karaikal, attended.
Mr. Rolland-Piegue also participated in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Karikal Union of Retired Military Personnel by honouring the veterans and decorating former soldiers.
In Puducherry, Jean-Philippe Huther, French Deputy Consul General presided over the commemoration and laid a floral wreath at the War Memorial on Goubert Avenue.
A. Kulothungan, District Collector, Major Samuel Yvon and Capitaine de Frégate (Frigate Captain) Dang-Khoa Bui from the Embassy of France in India / Defence Wing paid their respects.
Françoise LY, representative from the Consulate General of France presided over the commemoration in Mahé at Tagore Park, in front of the Statue of Marianne, in the presence of D. Mohan Kumar, Regional Administrator and local officials.
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