PARIS, Dec 7: An agreement with the Muttahida Majli-i-Amal on constitutional matters is “almost final,” says Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

He said this while talking to journalists soon after his arrival at the Orly airport on a two-day-long official visit to France.

Referring to reports regarding a protest campaign, he expressed the hope that the MMA would not go to “that extent” in the wake of the progress in connection with the agreement on constitutional matters.

Ruling out the possibility of a protest campaign, the prime minister said there was no chance of any movement as all issues “are being settled with the MMA.”

The prime minister was received at the airport by senior officials of the French foreign ministry, the Pakistani ambassador to France and members of the Pakistani community.

A guard of honour was presented to the prime minister by a contingent of France’s Republican Guard in the courtyard of Matigon.

Prime Minister Jamali, while highlighting good relations between Pakistan and France, said the two countries enjoyed good relations.

Pakistan’s relations with France had further improved after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, leading Pakistan to become a front-line state against the war on terrorism.

Prime Minister Jamali said his visit was a follow-up to President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s visit earlier this year.

He said there was a similarity of views between Pakistan and France and expressed the hope his visit would bolster the economic cooperation between the two countries.

Earlier, at the Karachi airport, the prime minister expressed the hope that his visit would boost cooperation between the two countries in economic, defence and technological matters.

“During my visit to France we will discuss cooperation in economic and other fields,” Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali told reporters before his departure.—Agencies