法國前總理拉法蘭的世博緣

2005年，時任法國總理讓-皮埃爾·拉法蘭，代表法國第一個確認參展上海世博會；2010年1月20日，這位法國前總理來到上海，行程中世博元素無處不在。作為中國的老朋友，他微笑著和大家說：“請關(guān)注我的博客，期待我的世博博文！”

讓-皮埃爾·拉法蘭自1976年以來定期訪問中國，即使在2003年“非典”盛行期間，他本人和法國政府也為上海世博會做了很多推介工作?！拔蚁Ｍ虾Ｊ啦▏^能促進法中兩國長期持續(xù)的藝術(shù)交流?！痹谒磥?，法中關(guān)系不僅僅是政治、經(jīng)濟的交流與合作，也是文化層面的。

20日下午，拉法蘭到訪上海世博局。在上海世博局副局長胡勁軍的陪同下，拉法蘭一行參觀了位于世博大廈一樓的世博會規(guī)劃展示廳，詳細了解了世博會歷史、上海世博會籌辦進展等情況。隨后，拉法蘭一行登上世博大廈頂樓觀景平臺，俯瞰世博園區(qū)全景。而這次來訪，只是一個預(yù)熱?！拔医衲赀€會再次來到上海，來到世博園區(qū)，見證這一重要的盛會。”他告訴記者，法國大報費加羅報已經(jīng)發(fā)起關(guān)注上海世博會的號召，在6月更將組織讀者代表團來上海參觀世博園區(qū)。

對上海世博會感興趣的可不止法國媒體，拉法蘭透露，近年來隨著漢語熱在法國的興起，法國的一些中學正在積極籌備一次世博之旅，讓孩子們可以邊學中文邊逛園區(qū)，看得出，他很喜歡這個想法。

“我的外孫馬丁在巴黎幼兒園的園長給我寫信，說他們開始提供孩子們學中文的機會了，”他眨了眨眼睛，笑瞇瞇地告訴大家。

拉法蘭此次行程中還包括20日晚參加在上海世貿(mào)商城的巧克力沙龍，這一沙龍將向大家展示法國巧克力作坊的手藝，讓大家品嘗來自法國的巧克力。“巧克力的話題既是經(jīng)濟的話題，也是美食的話題；法中關(guān)系不僅僅是經(jīng)濟上的，也是一種文化交流，這也是我們希望通過法國館傳遞的信息?！?

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said today he hoped the France Pavilion would remain after the 2010 Expo to promote Sino-French long-term cultural exchanges.

Raffarin represented France to confirm the country's participation in the 2010 Expo in 2005, the first country to do so.

He invited Chinese people to visit his Blog at , which has a Chinese version, at a press conference in Shanghai today, and said he would write stories about the Expo.

Sino-French ties are not only limited to political and economic fields, but culture as well, he said.

The former prime minister will visit the Expo site during the event. He told reporters that Le Figaro, a French daily newspaper, would organize a readers' group to the Expo site in June.

Some French schools are also preparing a similar visit to promote Chinese study for their students, he revealed.

France will celebrate its pavilion's national day by hosting a music festival.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to visit the 2010 World Expo site in the first half of this year, Raffarin said.

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