Official visit of Jean-Marc Todeschini [fr]
Projects focused on France and New Zealand’s shared histories adanced during an official visit from Jean-Marc Todeschini, Secretary of State for Veterans and Remembrance, on November 17 to 19.
Four key moments marked this visit:
- Awarding nine World War I veterans the Legion of Honour following at Auckland’s War Memorial Museum
- Participating in the 75th anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy
- Unveiling a commemorative plaque for the French Memorial at Wellington’s Pukeahu National War Memorial Park alongside New Zealand Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss
- Meeting members of Auckland and Wellington’s French and Francophile communities.
Mr. Todeschini also visited major exhibitions linked to WWI: The Great War Exhibition designed by filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson and national museum Te Papa’s exhibition Gallipoli – The Scale of our War.
He was also welcomed by students of Wellington College, a New Zealand high school highly involved in educational exchanges for WWI centenary educational project Shared Histories.
Mr. Todeschini also met representatives of the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, New Zealand WWI centenary organisers and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park officials as well as the architect of the chosen design for a planned French memorial in Wellington.