LAHORE, 31 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has held a meeting with newly appointed French Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-Noël Poirier to discuss expanding trade, investment, industrial and economic cooperation between Pakistan and France. Both sides agreed to explore new opportunities for strengthening trade relations and establishing industrial partnerships between Punjab and France. Welcoming the French ambassador to Lahore, Maryam Nawaz congratulated him on assuming his diplomatic responsibilities and appreciated his visit. The French envoy invited the chief minister to visit France to promote bilateral trade relations, an invitation she welcomed. The chief minister invited French investors to explore opportunities in Punjab’s agriculture, industrial and livestock sectors under the PIVOT initiative, saying direct engagement at the provincial level could open new avenues for industrial cooperation and development partnerships. The meeting also discussed the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and opportunities to increase Pakistani exports to European markets. Maryam Nawaz described GSP+ as a lifeline for Pakistan’s exports and Punjab’s industrial economy, stressing that preferential access to European markets was essential for boosting exports, particularly in the textile, garments, sports goods and leather sectors. She emphasised the importance of continued diplomatic engagement and effective dialogue with France to safeguard Pakistan’s GSP+ status, noting that France had previously supported Pakistan’s status at the ministerial level.

The chief minister said Pakistan’s exports to the European Union had reached approximately 8.96 billion dollars during the fiscal year 2025-26 and expressed her desire to further expand trade and industrial cooperation with France. She also thanked France for providing a 180 million euro loan for NTDC transmission lines and grid stations in Punjab and invited French investors to participate in the Urban Wastewater Governance Project planned for major cities of the province. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening longstanding friendly relations and placing bilateral cooperation on a stronger institutional footing. Maryam Nawaz said the two countries shared decades of friendship and that enhanced economic cooperation could give their relations a new direction. She also appreciated France’s 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen for its principles of freedom, equality and human dignity, while welcoming France’s recognition of Palestine and its position on justice and equal rights. The chief minister said French dairy, food-processing and cold-chain companies could contribute to increasing value addition in Punjab’s agricultural sector. She added that French utility companies could collaborate with the provincial government under the public-private partnership (PPP) model to improve urban water supply, wastewater treatment and solid waste management. French energy companies could also explore opportunities in solar power, grid development and energy-efficiency projects in industrial estates, while French institutions could support workforce training for Punjab’s industrial clusters under the PIVOT initiative.