French ambassador calls on CM Punjab, discusses trade and investment cooperation
“Maryam Nawaz meets French Ambassador Jean-Noël Poirier to discuss expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation, inviting French firms to invest in key…”
LLAHORE —Newly appointed French Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-Noël Poirier called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif here on Saturday and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and industrial development. The CM warmly welcomed the French ambassador on his visit to Lahore and congratulated him on assuming his new diplomatic responsibilities.
She also thanked him for inviting her to visit France to promote bilateral trade relations. During the meeting, both sides discussed exploring new opportunities for trade, investment and industrial partnerships between Punjab and France.
CM Maryam Nawaz invited French investors to invest in Punjab’s agriculture, industry and livestock sectors under the PIVOT (Punjab Innovation for Value, Opportunity and Transformation) development plan. She also invited French companies to participate in urban wastewater governance projects in major cities of the province.
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The CM said French companies in dairy, food processing and cold-chain sectors could help increase agricultural value addition, while French utility firms could collaborate in water supply, wastewater treatment and solid waste management projects under the public-private partnership model. She also highlighted opportunities for French energy companies in solar, grid and energy-efficiency projects in industrial estates.
The meeting also discussed Pakistan’s GSP+ status and its importance for exports to European markets. The chief minister said France’s support was important for protecting Pakistan’s trade interests in the European Union.
She said Pakistan’s exports to the EU reached approximately $8.96 billion in 2025-26, adding that preferential access to European markets was vital for the country’s textile, garments, sports goods and leather industries. CM Maryam Nawaz thanked France for providing a 180-million-euro loan for NTDC transmission lines and grid stations in Punjab.
She also appreciated France’s recognition of Palestine and its principled position on justice and equal rights. She said Pakistan and France enjoyed decades-old friendly relations, adding that the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted in 1789, had set out enduring principles of freedom, equality and human dignity.
Both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening long-term institutional relations and expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation.
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