Ties with France to be deepened: PM

Premier hoped that the ambassador would contribute towards strengthening the bilateral relationship

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan was committed to further deepen its relations with France across all areas of mutual interest, saying continued engagement would further deepen mutually beneficial relations.

The prime minister reaffirmed the importance Pakistan attached to its longstanding cooperative relations with France, both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union.

The premier hoped that bilateral relations would get strengthened and new areas for cooperation would soon be explored. The prime minister shared the views during his meeting with French Ambassador Nicolas Galey who called on him at the PM Office.

During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted the extensive devastation caused by recent floods across Pakistan and the government’s response to address the dire situation.

In this regard, the prime minister expressed gratitude to President Emmanuel Macron for solidarity and support for the flood-stricken people and for sending a relief flight carrying tents, water pumps and a team of doctors and nurses for the flood-affected people.

The prime minister underscored that the scale and magnitude of losses was too big to be borne by the country alone and that the international community’s support was of vital importance.

The premier added that Pakistan despite having a negligible contribution to climate change was among the most vulnerable to its devastation as manifested in the recent floods.

The prime minister runderlined that besides the immediate relief assistance, France could contribute to the government’s efforts in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.

Read Submarine cable links Pakistan to France

“In the bilateral context,” Shehbaz said, “Pakistan was committed to further deepen its relations with France across all areas of mutual interest.”

He hoped that the ambassador would contribute towards strengthening the bilateral relationship as well as explore new areas for cooperation, such as IT, start-ups, agriculture, water management and energy.

Shehbaz said that Pakistan looked forward to continued engagement with France to further deepen mutually beneficial relations.

After the publication of blasphemous caricatures in France in 2020, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) took to the streets and blocked many parts of the country to pressure the then PTI government to expel the French ambassador from Pakistan.

The country had remained engulfed for weeks due to the protests by TLP workers and supporters demands to sever ties with France and expel its envoy. At one point, PTI government had to summon the National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss the situation.