France one of main FDI contributors to Pakistan: diplomat

LAHORE: Economic Counselor of French Embassy Dominique Simon has said that France was one of the main contributors of foreign direct investment to Pakistan.

Speaking at a meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday, he said France would continue to support Pakistan in the future.

LCCI president Mian Nauman Kabir, vice president Haris Ateeq and former president Malik Tahir Javed also spoke on the occasion.

Simon said that the French Development Agency has signed agreements for the expansion of Lahore and Taxila museums. France also supported Pakistan for restructuring of around $6 billion debt through the Paris Club agreement.

France had always supported Pakistan in the GSP Plus status and appreciated the efforts of Pakistan regarding the compliance of GSP conventions.

Kabir said that the LCCI had always given importance to economic and trade relations with France.

“We are proud of our defence cooperation with France. We should collaborate in high-tech areas of electric vehicle and mobile device manufacturing. This value addition will certainly help increase the volume of bilateral trade,” he said, adding that the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector could benefit from the French expertise in the latest fashion trends.

The French Embassy could play a role in capacity-building of the SME sector in Pakistan, he said, adding that the exchange of business delegations and single country exhibitions could help enhance the B2B contacts and link the business communities of the two countries for unlocking new opportunities.

“We cannot ignore the importance of education and cultural linkages. We will certainly like more Pakistani students to study in the top French universities. Your office can play a role in providing more opportunities to the Pakistani students,” he added.