French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud on Friday said that the French government is providing assistance to Pakistan for power generation and flood prevention systems by improving its irrigation system, while speaking at the Alliance Française de Lahore French Cultural Centre’s 50 years celebration at a local hotel.
He said that the French government was focusing on improving the water and sanitation system and would continue its policy of giving technical assistance in these fields.
To a question, he said that France wanted to introduce Pakistani artists in their country and improve Pakistan’s international image. He said that a solo France Film Festival would be organised in September at the National College of Arts (NCA), adding that the French Embassy would also support the promotion of French culture in Pakistan.
Responding to a question about French companies’ investment in Pakistan, he said that as many as 85 Pakistani and French companies were involved in trade activities amounting to $ 2 million. He said that more French companies were looking to invest in sectors like the pharmaceutical and power sectors.
On the occasion, French Cultural Centre Director Dominic said informed that the Alliance Française de Lahore was founded in 1964, with the first ever centre located in old Anarkali. Since January 2005, the Alliance Française of Lahore has shared its premises with the Annemarie Schimmel-Haus, its German counterpart.
Alliance Française de Lahore is a non-profit organisation which has devoted itself to promoting French in Lahore for over 40 years. The Alliance Française is confined not only to teaching French language; it has also played an active role in providing quality cultural activities.
These activities cater to diverse art lovers, organising events from local classical music concerts to pop and French folk music, and theatre plays including contemporary Urdu playwrights and modern French writers. Further, the center’s art gallery has had the honour of displaying the works of many talented artists.
He said that there were more than 5000 students of French in the city including children from the International school of Choueifut in JoharTown, the LahoreAmericanSchool, KinnairedCollege, theInternationalSchool of Scarsdale, PunjabUniversity, GCU, GarrisonUniversity and FatimaJinnahMedicalCollege who have partnered with the center in this regard.