PM Shehbaz invites French companies to invest in Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday invited French companies to invest in Pakistan, according to Radio Pakistan.

He was talking to the Ambassador of France to Pakistan Nicolas Galey who paid a courtesy call on him in Islamabad today.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan and France should work together to enhance cooperation in trade and investment.

He welcomed the French side's initiative to bring corporate leaders from top French companies on a visit to Pakistan soon.

The Prime Minister shared that stabilization of the economy is the topmost agenda of the government.

Highlighting the friendly and cordial ties between Pakistan and France, Shehbaz Sharif said although the relationship underwent a difficult phase a few years ago, the two countries are now working together to further strengthen their cooperation.

The Ambassador handed over a congratulatory letter from French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, addressed to the Prime Minister on his re-election.

The Prime Minister thanked the French leadership for the message of greetings.

He fondly recalled his numerous interactions with French President Emmanuel Macron and lauded his valuable contribution through virtual participation at the Geneva Conference on Resilient Pakistan in January last year.

The Prime Minister reiterated his invitation to President Macron to undertake an official visit to Pakistan.

The situation in Gaza also came under discussion and the Prime Minister appreciated French peace efforts in the region. The situation in Afghanistan was also discussed.

The French Ambassador briefed the Prime Minister on the latest developments on the bilateral front.

He said a French delegation is expected to visit Pakistan for discussions on bilateral cooperation and France is keen to work closely with Pakistan at multilateral fora including the United Nations.

In a related development, Pakistan has sought a transfer of agricultural technology from the Netherlands, as the economy seeks to boost its agriculture sector and exports.

The development was part of the meeting between Henny de Vries, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Pakistan, and Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Finance and Revenue, to discuss matters of mutual interest and strengthen the existing ties between Pakistan and the Netherlands.