French U.N. adviser to speak at MSU next week

Contact: Maridith Geuder

The key French adviser to the United Nations on issues of European security will make a public presentation Feb. 28 at Mississippi State University.

Vincent Floreani, senior foreign affairs counselor of the permanent mission of France to the U.N., will make public comments at 3:30 p.m. in the John Grisham Room of Mitchell Memorial Library.

His visit is sponsored by MSU's department of political science.

"Counselor Floreani's topic will be the French perspective on the international situation," said Hannah E. Britton, assistant professor and event coordinator.

In light of continuing tensions with Iraq, Floreani's insights into Security Council deliberations will be timely and compelling, she added.

Currently, Floreani coordinates European issues before the Security Council on the Balkans, Georgia, Abkhazia, and cooperation between European member states in the Security Council.

Prior to his arrival at the U.N. in New York, he served in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Unit of the United Nations Division. There, he was responsible for issues concerning Iraq, Western Sahara, Libya, and reform of the Security Council, among other duties.

He has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Personnel Division responsible for training, and as vice-consul in the French embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

He holds a degree from the University of Nanterre and graduated in 1999 from the ecole nationale d'administration, France's most important graduate school for government leaders.