KARACHI  - Pakistan and France need to take their economic cooperation to (greater) heights to reflect the closeness of their traditional warm relationship. Pakistan will find France willing and ever ready to explore further avenues in this respect.
This was said by Martine Dorance, the Ambassador of France to Pakistan, at a dinner hosted in her (honor) by Abdul Kader Jaffer at his residence. The French Ambassador met captains of industry and business leaders during her visit to Karachi. The French envoy said developing trade and investment opportunities would benefit both countries. Earlier in his welcome address, Abdul Kader Jaffer, who is the founding president of the Pakistan France Business Alliance (PFBA), said France (can) best help Pakistan by meeting her need for more investments and joint ventures, and technology transfer (to set up industries to increase exports and reduce unemployment becoming a cause of concern to the Pakistan administration.) Jaffer said there was a lot of scope for mutual benefit of the two countries in the power sector particularly hydro power in Pakistan’s Northern Areas (and Sindh), oil and gas exploration and mining in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.  He added that value-added textiles, dairy farming and food products were other sectors that held much potential for French Industrialists.)
The PFBA founding president said France could help Pakistan modernise her industries as it would help raise the country’s exports due to the (improvement) in the quality and (increase) of industrial output besides reducing unemployment and opening more opportunities. He also sought frequent exchange of delegations and increased people-to-people contact.