SELF IMPROVEMENT

Atlanta to cooperate with Paris for airport business development
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed signed a memorandum of understanding with Paris Airports and the Paris Region Development Office/Hubstart Paris to promote their airport areas as locations for business expansion, and to create an international network of airport areas. Paris Region Development Office representative Jean-Claude Detilleux and Paris Airports representative Elisabeth Le Masson signed the agreement Monday with the mayor at Atlanta City Hall. They hope to increase international business exchanges and foreign investments.

Reed said the deal furthers Atlanta's ability to become more globalized and that there may be lessons for Atlanta's airport to learn on sustainability. He said any expenditures on the partnership would come from the airport.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Paris -- Charles de Gaulle also aim to attract activities such as trade events that create jobs and benefit from being close to an airport.

The idea for the memorandum of understanding developed after a France-Atlanta 2010 event late last year and during a visit by Reed to Paris in January. Reed also discussed the pending agreement with French ambassador François Delattre during the ambassador’s visit to Atlanta in May.