January 20, 2011 – New Orleans, LA – City Council President Arnie Fielkow is leading an initiative to formally thank and honor all 50 members of the Louisiana Consular Corps in City Council meetings throughout the year. During every second City Council Meeting, starting today, Consulates will receive Proclamations from the City Council for their work promoting economic and cultural relationships between Louisiana and the country they represent.
The first two Consuls to be recognized by the City Council are Olivier Brochenin, Consul General of France in New Orleans and Dean of the Consular Corps, and Jim Sutterfield, Honorary Consul of St. Vincent & The Grenadines in New Orleans and Vice Dean of the Consular Corps.
The principal role of a Consulate lies traditionally in promoting trade relations and economic development. Other activities of a Consulate include protecting the interests of citizens from the country they represent that are temporarily or permanently residing in Louisiana. In addition, Consulates help foster cultural interchanges which often result in increased travel between the countries.
Of the 50 Consulates in the Louisiana Consular Corps, six are career diplomats from the country they represent. A Consul General is a Consul of the highest rank who speaks on behalf of his or her state in the country of which he or she is located. The other 44 Consulates in Louisiana are Honorary Consuls, members of the Consular Corps whose role as Consulate is not a paid position but rather a voluntary role.
“More than any city in the United States, New Orleans has retained its international roots. We have Mardi Gras Indians, bilingual schools, hard-to-pronounce street names and even a Napoleonic Code of Law. It is important to our heritage that we continue to develop the international ties that set New Orleans apart, and the Consular Corps does just that. Therefore, I would like to thank them for enriching and strengthening our great city,” said Councilmember Fielkow.
Contact:
Danielle Viguerie
Communications Director
Office of Councilmember-at-Large Arnie Fielkow
Ph: 504-658-1063
daviguerie@nola.gov
