French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called Prime Minister Imran Khan by telephone and congratulated him on assuming the Prime Minister office.

President Macron emphasized on the need to build and strengthen the bilateral cooperation and linkages between Paris and Islamabad.

During the phone call, the French president also spoke of assistance in the fields of energy, water resources, and trade, and expressed his wish to work together with Khan on matters of mutual interest.

On the other hand, the premier expressed his gratitude towards Macron, agreeing that promoting two-way, broad-term relations between the two countries was crucial.

Khan also briefed the French head-of-state on issues pertaining to the regional situation, as well as on the importance of maintaining peace in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pak relationship.

In addition, while commending Pakistan's efforts in the war against terrorism, Macron noted that Islamabad had sustained heavy losses in this regard.

The French leader also offered condolences to Pakistan over the acts of terrorism that rocked the country in July 2018.