Meeting: Sapin congratulates Dar on Open Govt Partnership

French finance minister acknowledges progress made by Pakistan


Our Correspondent December 10, 2016
PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: French Finance Minister Michel Sapin congratulated Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on joining the Open Government Partnership process at a meeting the latter held with his French counterpart before he left for Islamabad after his official visit to Paris.

In the second meeting, held in the last three months, Sapin appreciated the ratification by Pakistan of the OECD Convention on Mutual Assistance on Tax Matters.

Dar apprised his counterpart of the importance Pakistan attaches to transparency in public matters and his intention to make Pakistan a member of OECD Convention against Bribery in due course.

The finance minister briefed Sapin on the turnaround of Pakistan’s economy in the last three years, macroeconomic stability and improvement of energy and security situation in the country, which has provided a favourable atmosphere for foreign direct investment.

Sapin acknowledged Pakistan’s economic achievements and expressed hope that the journey towards further progress and development would continue.

Both ministers also discussed trade, economic and investment relations between the two countries. While expressing satisfaction over the upward trajectory of bilateral relations, including decision by French automobile company Renault to start manufacturing vehicles in Pakistan, they emphasised the need to further strengthen ties through the institutional mechanism of Administrative, Economic and Trade Committee (AETC).

They agreed, in principle, to upgrade AETC to Ministerial level. Dar invited Sapin to visit Pakistan to co-chair the next meeting of AETC.

Prior to that, both sides would meet early next year at secretary level to prepare the ground for the Ministerial meeting.

Secretary Economic Affairs Division and Ambassador of Pakistan to France were also present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2016.

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