Laurent Gallissot: France’s consul general looks to create linkages in Miami

Written by Jesse Scheckner on February 18, 2020

When Laurent Gallissot took over the Consulate of France in Miami in early September, he had to hit the ground running. Hurricane Dorian had just struck, and his office’s constituents in Florida and the Bahamas needed help.

“That was not unexpected but really frightening. Dorian was massive,” he said. “We had to prepare the French community, an estimated 30,000 permanent French citizens in Florida, and provide the best information.”

Mr. Gallissot and his 17-member team stationed in the Miami Financial District provide aid, information and other traditional consular services to French citizens living in Florida, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands.

They also work to enhance business, cultural and policy links with the private and public sectors, particularly in technology, gastronomy and addressing climate change, a subject for which he is immensely passionate.

Prior to his arrival in Miami late last year, he served as secretary general for One Planet Summit, a recurring event on climate change issues that unites thousands of private and public participants from all over the world.

The focus of the summit, to find and support actionable ways to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, is one he said he will continue working on here.

“You need cooperation to solve global problems,” he said. “Climate change is one, but trade is another. You name it – internet issues, digitization, tax issues. We need to strengthen cooperation, and France is at the forefront [of that], trying to create a framework for discussion and achieving solutions.”

Mr. Gallissot sat down with reporter Jesse Scheckner.

The interview, recorded by Jahmoukie Dayle, can be viewed below.