About this Event
France and the Indo-Pacific: Vision, Presence, Partnerships
About the Speakers
Marc ABENSOUR, Ambassador of France for the Indo-Pacific
Born on March 10th, 1966, Marc ABENSOUR, the Ambassador of France for the Indo-Pacific holds an “Agrégation” in Philosophy and studied at the École normale supérieure and Harvard University. His diplomatic career began in 1994 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with key roles in the Asia and Oceania Directorate, and later in Beijing and Washington. He also served as Director of the Far East Directorate and held senior positions in industrial affairs, NATO, and the General Secretariat of Defense.
In November 2016, he became Ambassador to Singapore, serving until 2022. Since October 2022, he has been the Ambassador of France for the Indo-Pacific. He is a Knight of the National Order of Merit.
Véronique ROGER-LACAN, Ambassador of France for the Pacific
Véronique Roger-Lacan, Ambassador of France for the Pacific since October 2023, previously served as Permanent Representative to the Pacific Community and the Pacific Regional Environment Program in Nouméa. Her diplomatic career includes roles as Ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, Permanent Representative to the OSCE in Vienna, and Special Representative for the fight against maritime piracy. She has also held key positions at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading the Mali and Sahel Unit and South Asia Department, and served in NATO and the French Ministry of Defence.
Emmanuel BOITEAU, Brigadier General
Brigadier General Emmanuel Boiteau, born near Paris on June 9th, 1972, is married with three children. He graduated from the French Air Force Academy in 1992 and earned his fighter pilot wings in 1996. After flight training, he served as an air defence pilot flying the Mirage 2000C, and participated in missions in Kosovo and Iraq. He later took command of several fighter squadrons, including in Djibouti, and played a key role in the Rafale F2 program.
Promoted to Colonel in 2013, Boiteau held various senior positions, including heading the “Training, Doctrine and Lessons Learned” department at the Air Force HQ, and commanding air bases in Jordan and the UAE. In 2019, he became deputy director for “Defense Strategy” with DGRIS. From 2021 to 2023, he was head of the Air & Space Force Vice-Chief of Staff task force. On June 1st, 2023, he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Director of the Centre for Air & Space Strategic Studies (CESA).
Florian CARDINAUX, Consul General of France in San Francisco
Florian Cardinaux, originally from Blois in the Loire Valley, is the Consul General of France in San Francisco. He previously served as an advisor to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, overseeing Asia, the Pacific, and consular affairs from 2022 to 2024. Prior to this, he was Head of Operations at the Crisis and Support Center at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, managing international crises involving French nationals, including in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Sudan.
Cardinaux has held diplomatic postings in Doha as Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy in Qatar (2018-2020) and as a political advisor at the French Embassy in India, focusing on the Franco-Indian strategic partnership (2015-2018). He began his career working on Near East relations at the Quai d’Orsay, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Syrian crisis. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the École nationale d’administration, he is passionate about rowing, mountain sports, and scuba diving.
