EU envoy hails Pakistan’s rich culture

Outgoing ambassador stresses need for change in country’s export base

ISLAMABAD: The outgoing European Union (EU) Ambassador Jean Francois Cautain has said his Pakistan posting was a great experience adding that he would miss Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and the hospitality of its people.

The ambassador expressed these views while speaking at a reception he hosted to say goodbye to his friends.

Ambassador Cautain further said during his tenure he tried to bring both EU and Pakistan closer.

He noted with satisfaction that Pakistan benefited from the GSP plus arrangement with the hope that Islamabad would continue to reap the benefits of this arrangement even in the coming days.

Talking about the celebration of Europe Day, he said it was during his tenure that he took these celebrations to open places such as Lok Virsa and Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) lawns.

“Despite the fact that that it involved some security issues, I was able to bring all the EU missions around such events. These events should be held in public places in order to provide more and more people with a chance to be a part of such festivities and get firsthand information about cultures and traditions of various European countries.”

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Talking about GSP plus the ambassador said statistics show that Pakistani exports to the EU have considerably increased in the four years that GSP+ has been in effect.

The GSP+ has helped Pakistan boost its exports to the EU at a time when exports to the rest of the world are decreasing.

Pakistan’s usage of GSP+ concession has been above 95 per cent since 2014 but the only limitation is that this increase has not reflected in the diversification in Pakistan’s export base which remains highly concentrated in textiles (and garments i.e. over 70 per cent).

Cautain during his stay in Pakistan also visited various places. He recently visited the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalander and 5,000 year old Moen Jo Daro civilization with his wife.

He also watched the Dhamal of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a spiritual dance by groups of devotees and individually before the shrine. After the visit, the EU ambassador, said that this was a place of spirituality and tolerance.

Ambassador Cautain will be going back to the headquarters where he is supposed to spend one or two years before getting another posting abroad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2019.