A ‘Pakistan-France Trade and Investment Forum’ was held in Paris today, bringing together government officials, business leaders, industry experts and representatives of trade bodies of both countries.
The Forum was held in implementation of an understanding reached between President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2024, to build strong economic partnership between Pakistan and France. The objective of the Forum was to connect businesses, exchange ideas, explore new avenues of bilateral cooperation and showcase Pakistan’s trade and investment potential. It witnessed participation of over seventy French and Pakistani companies from diverse sectors including agriculture, information technology, textiles, energy and tourism.
Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch opened the Business Forum and highlighted Pakistan’s economic growth and potential as an attractive trade partner for France. She outlined investor-focused initiatives and institutional facilitation mechanisms in Pakistan to promote trade and investment. She encouraged Pakistani and French businesses to explore collaborative opportunities, and develop joint ventures and win-win partnerships.
Speakers from the French side included Thierry Pflimlin, Chairman of the France-Pakistan Business Council at MEDEF International, Patricia Glasel, Vice President of the Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CCEF) and Ardavan Amir-Aslani. They highlighted the growing momentum in France-Pakistan economic relations; identified the opportunities for trade and investment with Pakistan; and underscored the importance of strengthening private sector linkages to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment.
The plenary session was followed by ‘Breakout and Business-to-Business (B2B)’ sessions to discuss and identify tangible avenues for collaboration in textiles, agriculture and dairy, and Information Technology.
