ISLAMABAD: (Parliament Times) Lauding the favourable financial position and improved security situation in the country, over a dozen of French companies Tuesday expressed their keenness to bring in investment in Pakistan through enhanced trade and cooperation in diverse areas.
“Pakistan has favourable financial position and the security situation has improved tremendously during the last two to three years,†Chairman of France-Pakistan Business Council of MEDEF Intl and President of Total Global Services, M Thierry PFLIMLIN told media here at the residence of French ambassador.
M Thierry PFLIMLIN was heading a delegation of 16 French companies, which was currently on a visit to Pakistan from April 4 to 6, after a gap of 12 years.
“We have identified the fields of cooperation in agriculture, where Pakistan has huge potential i.e. processing of food, hydro-electric and renewable energy, digitalization of industry, electronics, IT, LNG storage and re-gasification etc,†he along with other members of the delegation told newsmen.
To a question, M Thierry PFLIMLIN said the main objective of their visit was exploratory and to understand Pakistan and the business opportunities it offered.
About the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, it was a wonderful project, adding, Europe could also bring in investment for increased cooperation with Pakistan.
The three-day long programme of the delegation would give French companies the opportunity to better understand what were the Pakistan economic priorities and how was the business environment, as well as to engage in fruitful discussion with Pakistan business community, particularly, with members of Pakistan Business Council.
The visit was a concrete follow-up of the meeting organized at MEDEF Headquarters in Paris in September 2016 between the French companies and Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Muhammad Ishaq Dar, who was accompanied by Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) Miftah Ismail and a Pakistani delegation.
M Thierry PFLIMLIN along with other members of the delegation said they had “very deep and fruitful conversation†with the officials of BoI and the ministries of petroleum, planning, commerce and food.
They also appreciated that Pakistan had highly professional and educated people. The French delegation also called on President Mamnoon Hussain and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.
The delegation will visit Karachi on Wednesday and meet the representatives of Pakistan Business Council. Later, the French ambassador hosted a reception for the delegation and thanked them for visiting Pakistan.
The reception was attended among others by federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Sikandar Hayat Bosan and Senator Lt Gen ® Abdul Qayyum.
M Thierry PFLIMLIN in his remarks at the reception referred to their visit after 12 years and said they would not take such a long time to visit Pakistan again.
