KARACHI – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved the formation of Pak-France Joint Business Council (JBC) between the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Mouvement des Entreprises de France or MEDEF to enhance bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.
This was revealed by Federal Advisor on Textile Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig. He stressed that a formal agreement is to be signed on the forthcoming visit of French Prime Minister to Pakistan in May this year in the presence of representatives from FPCCI. He said that Prime Minister Gilani has also requested French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Secretary General Pierre Sellal to support Pakistan’s case in the European Union for tariff concession on the import of 75 Pakistani products, mainly in textile categories.
Baig pointed out that EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has told EU lawmakers that the union was actively working towards a solution. It is pertinent to note that an original EU plan, unveiled in October last year had declared that duty suspensions would affect about 900 million euros worth of Pakistani exports to the EU and estimated Pakistan could boost sales to the EU by 100 million euros.
