Pakistan, France to boost bilateral economic cooperation

Ambassador Nicolas Galey meets Ahad Cheema

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan and France have reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen their bilateral economic cooperation and advance shared goals of climate and sustainable development.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Nicolas Galey and Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Cheema in Islamabad on Thursday.

Country Director of the French Development Agency, Vincent Thevenot, also accompanied the Ambassador during the meeting.

The Minister appreciated the continued support of French government through the Agency and noted that France has been a valuable development partner in energy, urban development, municipal services, and technological advancement.

He highlighted that 14 projects are currently being implemented with the French Development Agency’s assistance, and seven more are in the pipeline.

The Minister expressed hope that these pipeline projects will be approved soon by the AFD Board.

He emphasized the significance of Rural Development and Climate Resilience initiative for Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Urban Wastewater Governance Project for major cities in Punjab.

The Ambassador assured full support of French government and AFD for Pakistan’s development priorities.

He reiterated France’s commitment to work closely with Pakistan to ensure the timely execution of ongoing projects, and early approval of the proposed initiatives.

On the occasion, Ahad Cheema thanked France for its support to Pakistan’s GSP-plus status, noting that this preferential trade arrangement is crucial for enhancing Pakistan’s exports to the European Union.