France recognises the high price paid by Pakistan in the war against terrorism as people lost lives and the economy was really hampered, French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud said on Saturday. “We certainly wish and intend to alleviate these concerns by playing an active role in development of various economic areas of Pakistan,” he added. The French ambassador was speaking at a reception hosted by Abdul Kader Jaffer, the founder of the Pakistan-France Business Alliance and also the chairman of the Pakistan-Japan Business Forum.
The ambassador said that French President Sarkozy wishes to further develop economic and political relationship with Pakistan. The ambassador pointed out that energy is one of the key priorities in the European Union for cooperation with Pakistan. “We certainly intend to develop cooperation in the area of energy. Most projects being supported by France focus on hydropower electricity generation,” he added.
He was of the view that nuclear technology is not a feasible solution for overcoming the ongoing energy crisis being faced by Pakistan as it takes 10 years to develop a nuclear power plant. However, other means and resources including hydropower electricity generation can be utilised to overcome this pressing issue in the coming months and years. Thiebaud said he has been in Pakistan for two month now and realises that Karachi is the heart of Pakistan’s economy. He committed himself for visiting Karachi on a regular basis in order to develop and strengthen the economic relations between the two countries.
He was of the opinion that Pakistan is a country of 180 million people with qualified and skilled manpower.
Thiebaud said during his visit to Karachi, he noticed that French companies are good example of the success story in the relationship between the two countries as far as the economy is concerned.
He also paid tribute to Abdul Kader Jaffer for being the founding father of the France-Pakistan Business Alliance, which has more than 162 members.
To a query, the ambassador remarked that the democratic process of Pakistan is being supported by the French government and the European Union.
“The media has also played a major role in development of this democratic process in Pakistan,” he added.
To another query regarding bilateral trade between the two countries, the French ambassador said, “We can certainly do more.”
He said since 2011, both countries have witnessed increase in bilateral trade and Pakistani exports have risen by 27 percent, which was quite a positive figure.
“We now have this waiver for Pakistani products that allows duty-free access of Pakistani products in the European Union and we hope that the decision in this regard will be finalised in the coming days and implemented soon,” he added.
“An ‘engagement plan’ for five years has also been finalised with an objective of enhancing access of Pakistani products to European Union.”
Earlier, while welcoming the Ambassador, Abdul Kader Jaffer stressed the need for supporting Pakistan in its struggle to recover from the losses suffered by the country due to the war on terror. “We do not need aid, we only prefer trade”, he said, urging the French government to continue its support for Pakistan’s access to European markets.