Two months after the General Assembly meeting in which France proposed Dijon as the future headquarters, in response to the OIV's premises needs, an invitation was issued by the capital of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region and the Secretary of State to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, for a delegation of Member States to visit the facilities the city offers the Organisation.
Exceptional heritage: the Hotel Bouchu d’Esterno, a historic 17th-century building situated in the heart of the city
Dijon also offers a number of meeting, seminar and conference rooms for the Organisation's activities. During the course of the day, OIV President Luigi Moio highlighted the importance of the city as a hub of scientific and research, which creates a fertile ecosystem for the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. “The future Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin (International City of Gastronomy and Wine of Dijon) is testament to our city’s international commitment,” emphasised Mayor François Rebsamen.
A strong, sustained commitment from the host state
“Moving the OIV headquarters to the Hotel d’Esterno in Dijon corresponds with France’s positioning in terms of multilateralism,” recalled Secretary of State Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. The State Secretary also commented on the current tendency of decentralisation of institutions: “Brest is a candidate to host the World Meteorological Organization and Lyon is preparing to host the World Health Organisation Academy.”
After this visit, which gave diplomats an opportunity to assess the aspects Dijon offers the OIV, the OIV Member States now have a period to reflect before making a consensus-based decision at the General Assembly meeting set to take place on 25 October 2021 in this very city.