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Chennai: Bureau De France Marks First Anniversary Today
Chennai: The Bureau de France, Chennai, Chancery detached from the Consulate General of France in Puducherry, will celebrate first year anniversary on Wednesday. Elaborate arrangements are being made on the occasion at the Bureau de France, Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.
A press issued by the Bureau de France, Chennai, stated that inaugurated in October 2017 by the Ambassador of France Mr Alexandre Ziegler, the Bureau has improved its functions with the weekly presence of the Consul General Ms. Catherine Suard, and several day-to-day services including, consular and visas services, French Institute in India, Business France and Campus France.
Set up to reinforce exchanges, cooperation, and mobility between France and India, the bureau had rapidly developed its role in several sectors and strengthened the French presence in the Southern states.
Transferring the visa services to Chennai was a strategic decision to cut short the process time of Schengen visas for tourism and business, since a major part of the applications come from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Today, Schengen short term visas are issued within 48 hours and the bureau expects to process more than 25,000 visas this year.
As the target of 10,000 Indian students in France by 2020 set by the French President, the student mobility accorded priority by the Bureau and Campus France, the agency for promotion of higher studies in France. This year, 750 student files have been processed and visas granted for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala so far.