ISLAMABAD: The Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Marc Barety, said on Thursday that French companies were willing to boost defence cooperation, but they had not been able to get contracts though the two countries enjoyed excellent cooperation in the field.

Mr Barety said this during a meeting with chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Azam Khan Swati, at the Parliament House.

The French envoy called for boosting cooperation in the defence sector and said that Pakistan was an important country for France and there were several investment opportunities which could be explored for mutual benefit. Mr Barety said that the Board of Investment was an important platform as it could assist in identifying potential investment opportunities, but it should be a one-window facility for all countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Azam Swati said that Pakistan placed its bilateral relations with France at high esteem and wanted these ties to be further expanded with collaboration in different fields.

He said that parliamentary diplomacy could play an important role in building socio-economic ties and parliamentary friendship groups needed to be revitalised to bring the two countries close to each other.

He said that Pakistan wanted peace to flourish at regional and global level as development was directly linked with peace.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018