The 14th round of Pakistan-France Bilateral Political Consultations was held in Paris on Friday, according to the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson.
The French side was headed by Secretary-General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Anne-Marie Descôtes, while the Pakistani side was led by Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan. The foreign secretary was assisted by Mr. Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the Pakistani ambassador to France, and other senior officials.
At this event, Pakistan and France signed the “Roadmap for Bilateral Cooperation,” which aims to strengthen ties in all areas of shared interest, including high-level interactions and collaboration in the political, economic, development, science and technology, education, culture, and tourism fields, as well as in the fields of migration, climate change, and multilateral domains.
The two parties participated in a thorough discussion of bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and global issues. According to a news statement, the Foreign Secretary expressed Pakistan’s deep gratitude to President Macron for attending the Geneva Conference on January 9, 2023, and for France’s strong commitment to supporting the resilient reconstruction of Pakistan’s flood-affected districts.
The Foreign Secretary stressed the significance of regular high-level political contacts to provide guidance and impetus for enhancing a broad-based mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries. He noted that the meeting between President Macron and Prime Minister Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2022 had imparted fresh momentum. The importance of parliamentary meetings in strengthening political relationships and expanding multifaceted cooperation was again emphasized by the two parties.
The two sides agreed to increase cooperation in the fields of energy, IT, agriculture and livestock, tourism, and other areas while reiterating the importance placed on economic, trade, and investment connections. They talked about planning specific trade events and exchanging business delegations to maintain the recent growth in bilateral commerce and investment.
The Foreign Secretary emphasized the significance of GSP Plus as an instrument for development and trade promotion that has benefited both Pakistan and the European Union. He also praised the French Development Agency’s (AfD) collaboration with Pakistan in the fields of mass transit, urban development, renewable energy, and historical preservation, stressing the opportunity for AfD’s portfolio to be further expanded there in areas of shared.
The current state of the two parties’ bilateral defence and security cooperation was assessed. They decided to strengthen their long-standing defence relations and sustain them as well as their cooperation in the fight against terrorism. In the context of multilateral action for the maintenance of global peace and security, they also discussed UN peacekeeping.
The foreign secretary provided his French colleague a briefing on the situation in the region and the difficulties in upholding peace and security there. Regarding the state of affairs in Afghanistan, they talked. The foreign secretary further emphasized the need of resolving the Jammu and Kashmir conflict in conformity with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people if South Asia is to experience long-term peace and stability.
The two sides agreed to hold the 15th round of BPC in Islamabad next year.
