PARIS, Feb 10: Pakistan and the French Federation for Ready to Wear Women Garments have decided to formalize cooperation and collaboration for exchange of knowledge and skills and promotion of business between French and Pakistani garment industries.

An agreement in this connection was signed by Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah and federation chairman Jean-Pierre Mocho here the other day at the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in the presence of major French textile and garment associations.

The agreement envisages a programme for development of the Pakistan School of Fashion Design into a modern international fashion marketing institute, which could support and prepare Pakistan’s garments industry for the international market.

The agreement creates links between the Pakistan and French garment industries for exchange of information, awareness raising, delegations, seminars etc. Mod’Spe, (a French fashion school) and the Pakistan School of Fashion Design (PSFD), Lahore, are implementing a programme for the next two years through which Mod’Spe will provide marketing and merchandizing skills to the graduates of the PSFD.

Commerce Secretary Asif Shah on the occasion said that it was indeed a milestone agreement that lays the foundation for institutional cooperation among the technical institutions and garment industries of France and Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Ambassador Aneesuddin Ahmed highlighted the potential that could be realized though this agreement.

Jean-Pierre Mocho recounted the objectives already met and expressed confidence that the Pakistan garment industry would be able to compete intentionally with the technical skills and competencies being developed through this agreement.—APP