26 November 2015

The Ambassade des Philippines Paris (Embassy of the Philippines in Paris) is located in Hameau de Boulainvilliers, Paris. It is headed by Filipino Ambassador to France and Monaco Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.

Relations between Philippines and France can be traced back since the Age of exploration in the 16th century when Magellan—attempting to circumnavigate the world, discovered an island to be named later as Philippines. Serving under Magellan’s command were 15 French crewmembers, this includes Jean Petit of Angers, Lieutenant of Trinidad and Bernard Calmette, chaplain of the San Francisco. French Monsignor Charles-Thomas Maillard de Tournon in 1704.

Diplomatic relations between France and Philippines was established after the signing of the Treaty of Amity in Paris by then Philippine Vice Elpidio Quirino, who served as foreign affairs secretary, and then French foreign minister Georges Bidault on June 26, 1947.

France was also the first country to establish a consulate in the Spanish Philippines in March 1824 and the first to recognize the presidency of the late President Corazon C. Aquino. She was the first Philippine President to have been invited to undertake a State Visit to France from 12 to 13 July 1989 by then France Prime Minister Francois Mitterrand in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. Since then, France has become the Philippines’ second largest trading partner in the European Union, with two-way trade reaching $2.39 billion as of October 2014.

In the two-day state visit of President of the French Francois Holland in February early this year, marks the first visit of an incumbent French President since the establishment of the Philippines-French relations.

Currently, there are 50,144 overseas Filipino workers and expats living in France.

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