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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The outstanding endeavors of the Consulate General |
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of France in Houston serve to strengthen the meaningful connections |
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with Texas that have spanned many centuries; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1685, famed French explorer René-Robert |
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Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, landed at present-day Matagorda Bay |
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and built the Fort St. Louis stockade; the settlement was |
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short-lived, but in 1818, a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, General |
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Charles Francois Antoine Lallemand, brought a band of army veterans |
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to establish Champ d'Asile on thinly populated Spanish territory |
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near modern Liberty; Spain did not take kindly to the incursion, but |
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the brief French presence helped to define the Sabine River as the |
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border between Louisiana and Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, France was the second country to recognize the |
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Republic of Texas as a sovereign nation, and the two countries |
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signed a commercial treaty in 1839 and opened their respective |
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legations in Austin and Paris; in the following decade, more than |
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2,000 French Alsatians flocked to Castroville under the leadership |
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of banker Henri Castro, and across the state, French Catholic |
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missionaries developed schools and hospitals; and |
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WHEREAS, Favorable relations continued after Texas entered |
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the Union and have flourished through the years; our economies |
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benefit by the dynamism of imports and exports, totaling $15.6 |
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billion in 2022, making France our state's 14th-largest trade |
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partner; in the last decade, French companies reported more than 80 |
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investment projects in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Led since 2021 by Consul General Valérie Baraban, |
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the Consulate General of France in Houston provides services to |
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French citizens living in the Lone Star State; it also promotes |
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French business, science, and technology and fosters language |
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learning and cultural appreciation through its Villa Albertine in |
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Texas program; in 2024, it partnered in the creation of the |
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French-American Cultural Foundation; and |
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WHEREAS, The friendship between France and Texas has long |
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been a driver of prosperity and a source of vibrant cultural |
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enrichment, and the efforts of the Consulate General of France in |
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Houston continue to invigorate this multifaceted and mutually |
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valuable exchange; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
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hereby honor the Consulate General of France in Houston for its |
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contributions and recognize the enduring bonds between France and |
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Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the consulate as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas Senate. |