Tokyo, February 24, 2006 --- NEC Corporation announced that
Chairman of the Board, Hajime Sasaki, will today be awarded with
the prestigious Légion d'honneur by the French Republic on behalf
of President Jacques Chirac. The Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor)
is an order of chivalry first established by Napoléon Bonaparte in
1802, and remains the most senior Order in France today.
The award ceremony will take place at 18:30 today in the French
ambassador’s residence in Japan. Mr. Sasaki will be conferred with
the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d'honneur (Knight of
the National Order of the Legion of Honor) by decoration of a
medal, which will be presented by Christine Lagarde, Trade Minister
of France, who is currently visiting Japan.
The Légion d'honneur is awarded to individuals who have made
significant contributions to areas such as culture, science and
industry in France. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed on
an individual by the French Republic based on a decision by the
President of France, the Grand Master of the Order.
NEC established its first business in France in the 1970’s, and
currently carries out development and manufacturing in France with
the support of seven subsidiaries and 1,000 employees, representing
the most significant core of its business in Europe. “I believe
that this award honors the significant contribution that NEC’s
business in France has made to Franco-Japanese relations over the
past 30 years. We intend to continue to strengthen our business
relationship with France and contribute to the advancement of the
information communication field in order to promote ongoing
amicable relations in the future,” said Hajime Sasaki, Chairman of
NEC Corporation.
Légion d'honneur
The Légion d'honneur was first established on May 19, 1802. The
order is conferred upon men and women, either French citizens or
foreigners, for outstanding achievements in areas such as culture,
science, industry and trade in military or civil life. The medal
with the red ribbon, Saint Louis Medal, was created in the 17th
Century by Louis XIV.
The Order has five classes (in order of the highest ranking);
Grand Croix (Grand Cross), Grand Officier (Grand Officer),
Commandeur (Commander), Officier (Officer) and Chevalier
(Knight).
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) is one of the world's leading
providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business
solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse
and global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions in
the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by
integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by
providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics
Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000 people
worldwide and had net sales of 4,855 billion yen (approx. $45.4
billion) in the fiscal year ended March 2005.
For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at:
http://www.nec.com
* Newsroom: http://www.nec.co.jp/press/en/