French Ambassador Mathou bids au revoir to PHL

Ambassador Thierry Mathou on Tuesday announced he had a "new mission" after two years being the French envoy to the Philippines.

"Hello everyone. I am about to leave Manila in a few hours with great enthusiasm for the duties that await me in Paris, but also with many regrets after two years in the Philippines," Mathou said in French in a video tweeted by the French Embassy.

French Amb Thierry Mathou bids farewell to the Philippines as he begins his new mission in Paris! Congrats & best wishes, Mr. Ambassador! pic.twitter.com/KHO2muJeTl

— France in the PHL (@FrenchEmbassyPH) August 1, 2017

"[The Philippines] is an exceptional country, very different from what I've experienced anywhere in Asia, but where I learned a lot," he said.

"So again, it is a feeling of regret and sentiment, but also of great pride to have been able to contribute, to join you in promoting the values of France in this country," he added.

"I will probably have the opportunity to come back to the Philippines or elsewhere," he hinted.

The Ambassador also expressed his gratitude to non-government organizations and companies who "contributed" to the image of France in the Philippines.

According to the Embassy's Facebook post, a new position as Director for Asia and Oceania at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs awaits Mathou in the coming week.

Aside from being a career diplomat and a scholar for Asian affairs, Mathou was named a Chevalier (Knight), the highest decoration in France.

No successor yet

Despite Mathou's departure, no one has been named to succeed him in the post yet, said Embassy press attache Camille Conde. "The selection process is still ongoing in Paris. We hope to know the name of the incoming ambassador by September," she told GMA News Online.

France and the Philippines are celebrating 70 years of friendship in 2017. — BM, GMA News