Signs Declaration of Intent With French Minister
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Last Friday, Governor Greg Abbott joined First Lady Cecilia Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson in Paris for the final stop of an economic development mission to Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. During his trip, the Governor meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and signed an economic development Statement of Intent with French Minister of Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad Olivier Becht.
“Collaborating with our economic partners around the globe will ensure the Texas economy continues to flourish,” said Governor Abbott.
“Forging strong economic bonds with reliable partners is more important now than ever. Working together, we will bring more economic development opportunities to Texas from France than ever before.”
The Texas delegation participated in a total of 20 meetings and events during a five day trip to three different countries. The delegation partners included:- Texas 1st Lady Abbott
- Texas Secretary of State Nelson
- Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism Executive Director Adriana Cruz
- Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) Board of Directors Vice Chairman Arun Agarwal
- Borderplex Alliance CEO Jon Barela
- Borderplex Alliance Executive Vice President Marcos Delgado
- COSTEP CEO Adam Gonzalez
- Ggreater SATX President & CEO Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, and
- Greater SATX Chief Economic Development Officer Sarah Carabias-Rush
The trip is sponsored and paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for marketing and promoting Texas as a premier business location.
Along with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, these two organizations make up the cornerstone of Governor Abbott’s economic development agenda to build the Texas of tomorrow.
Economic Development Mission Recap: First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson Highlight Economic Relationship In Stuttgart, Germany
The first stop of the economic development mission last Monday was in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, and Executive Director Cruz met with Mercedez-Benz executives at the Stuttgart -Untertükheim Mercedez-Benz Group headquarters and discussed the German company's presence in Grapevine and Fort Worth, as well as the possibilities for future collaboration.
After visiting with Mercedez-Benz executives, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and members of the Texas delegation attended a luncheon at the Porsche Museum, co-hosted by Baden-Württemberg International and the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Commerce. The delegation then met with Baden-Württemburg's Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut to discuss the strengths of both the German and Texas economies.
First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson Tout Texas’ Economic Ties With United Kingdom, Showcase Texas In British Parliament
Last Tuesday, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and members of the Texas delegation met with business leaders and dignitaries to highlight Texas’ strong economic ties with the United Kingdom while in London. First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and TxEDC Vice Chair Agarwal first met with executives from Drax, the United Kingdom’s largest renewable energy company.
During the meeting, the First Lady presented a Texas flag and proclamation to Drax executives in recognition of the company's plans to open a Houston location next month to serve as its North American headquarters. After meeting with Drax executives, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal met with executives from Octopus Energy, which employs 4,000 people in 15 countries and has its U.S. corporate headquarters in Houston. The First Lady also presented a proclamation to Octopus Energy to celebrate the company's significant operations in Texas.
The First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal then met with Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade Nigel Huddleston MP and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Jane Hartley. In the evening, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal attended a reception, hosted by the Texas Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in London and the Institute of Directors (IoD), for business and government leaders in the United Kingdom.
The following day, First Lady Abbott and Secretary Nelson attended the Prime Minister's Questions at the United Kingdom House of Parliament. After attending the Prime Minister’s Questions, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and Vice Chairman Agarwal joined several members of Parliament for a luncheon hosted by the British American Parliamentary Group, which promotes closer relations with the United States and its leading political figures. After the lunch, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chairman Agarwal met with bp p.l.c (BP) executives to discuss the unique parallels between Texas and the United Kingdom's strong energy industries. The First Lady also presented a proclamation and Texas flag to BP executives in recognition of the company's dedication to the growth and development of the Texas economy.
Governor Abbott Celebrates Historic Partnership With France, Signs Declaration Of Intent With Minister Becht
On the first day of the France stop, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, Vice Chairman Agarwal, and members of the Texas delegation visited the site of the former Texas Embassy at 1 Place Vendôme. The First Lady presented the hotel manager with a flag of Texas and a proclamation honoring the rich history of the building that served as the Embassy for the Republic of Texas in Paris from 1842-1843. Following the visit, the entire Texas delegation attended a business lunch at the George C. Marshall Center hosted by Mouvement des Entreprises De France (MEDEF) International, the U.S. Commercial Service in France, the U.S. Embassy in France, Consul General of France in Houston Valérie Barban, and the Texas Economic Development Corporation. After the lunch, the delegation toured Schneider Electric's headquarters in Paris and met with their executives to discuss the future of data centers, energy, and industrial automation, as well as the latest expansion at the company’s manufacturing facility in El Paso, Texas. In the evening, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chairman Agarwal attended a reception hosted by MEDEF International, Cercle France-Amériques, Consul General Barban, and the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
On the last day of the trip, Governor Abbott joined the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and the Texas delegation for the final stop of the mission and attended France's Bastille Day Military Parade. At the parade, the Governor met with President Macron and discussed how Texas’ economic policies have attracted record numbers of businesses and people from around the world.
Following the parade, Governor Abbott met with French Minister Becht, Consul General Baraban, and Honorary Consul General of France in Dallas the Honorable Jeanne Phillips to sign an economic development Statement of Intent to reinforce the strong economic relationship between Texas and France.
In the evening, Governor Abbott and First Lady Abbott attended a state dinner with President Macron and Prime Minister Modi at the Louvre Museum.
Along with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, these two organizations make up the cornerstone of Governor Abbott’s economic development agenda to build the Texas of tomorrow.
Economic Development Mission Recap: First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson Highlight Economic Relationship In Stuttgart, Germany
The first stop of the economic development mission last Monday was in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, and Executive Director Cruz met with Mercedez-Benz executives at the Stuttgart -Untertükheim Mercedez-Benz Group headquarters and discussed the German company's presence in Grapevine and Fort Worth, as well as the possibilities for future collaboration.
After visiting with Mercedez-Benz executives, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and members of the Texas delegation attended a luncheon at the Porsche Museum, co-hosted by Baden-Württemberg International and the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Commerce. The delegation then met with Baden-Württemburg's Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut to discuss the strengths of both the German and Texas economies.
First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson Tout Texas’ Economic Ties With United Kingdom, Showcase Texas In British Parliament
Last Tuesday, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and members of the Texas delegation met with business leaders and dignitaries to highlight Texas’ strong economic ties with the United Kingdom while in London. First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and TxEDC Vice Chair Agarwal first met with executives from Drax, the United Kingdom’s largest renewable energy company.
During the meeting, the First Lady presented a Texas flag and proclamation to Drax executives in recognition of the company's plans to open a Houston location next month to serve as its North American headquarters. After meeting with Drax executives, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal met with executives from Octopus Energy, which employs 4,000 people in 15 countries and has its U.S. corporate headquarters in Houston. The First Lady also presented a proclamation to Octopus Energy to celebrate the company's significant operations in Texas.
The First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal then met with Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade Nigel Huddleston MP and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Jane Hartley. In the evening, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chair Agarwal attended a reception, hosted by the Texas Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in London and the Institute of Directors (IoD), for business and government leaders in the United Kingdom.
The following day, First Lady Abbott and Secretary Nelson attended the Prime Minister's Questions at the United Kingdom House of Parliament. After attending the Prime Minister’s Questions, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and Vice Chairman Agarwal joined several members of Parliament for a luncheon hosted by the British American Parliamentary Group, which promotes closer relations with the United States and its leading political figures. After the lunch, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chairman Agarwal met with bp p.l.c (BP) executives to discuss the unique parallels between Texas and the United Kingdom's strong energy industries. The First Lady also presented a proclamation and Texas flag to BP executives in recognition of the company's dedication to the growth and development of the Texas economy.
Governor Abbott Celebrates Historic Partnership With France, Signs Declaration Of Intent With Minister Becht
On the first day of the France stop, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, Vice Chairman Agarwal, and members of the Texas delegation visited the site of the former Texas Embassy at 1 Place Vendôme. The First Lady presented the hotel manager with a flag of Texas and a proclamation honoring the rich history of the building that served as the Embassy for the Republic of Texas in Paris from 1842-1843. Following the visit, the entire Texas delegation attended a business lunch at the George C. Marshall Center hosted by Mouvement des Entreprises De France (MEDEF) International, the U.S. Commercial Service in France, the U.S. Embassy in France, Consul General of France in Houston Valérie Barban, and the Texas Economic Development Corporation. After the lunch, the delegation toured Schneider Electric's headquarters in Paris and met with their executives to discuss the future of data centers, energy, and industrial automation, as well as the latest expansion at the company’s manufacturing facility in El Paso, Texas. In the evening, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chairman Agarwal attended a reception hosted by MEDEF International, Cercle France-Amériques, Consul General Barban, and the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
On the last day of the trip, Governor Abbott joined the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and the Texas delegation for the final stop of the mission and attended France's Bastille Day Military Parade. At the parade, the Governor met with President Macron and discussed how Texas’ economic policies have attracted record numbers of businesses and people from around the world.
Following the parade, Governor Abbott met with French Minister Becht, Consul General Baraban, and Honorary Consul General of France in Dallas the Honorable Jeanne Phillips to sign an economic development Statement of Intent to reinforce the strong economic relationship between Texas and France.
In the evening, Governor Abbott and First Lady Abbott attended a state dinner with President Macron and Prime Minister Modi at the Louvre Museum.
