Maryam Nawaz meets French ambassador, discusses Punjab investment and trade

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz met France's new ambassador to Pakistan, Jean-Noël Poirier, in Lahore. The meeting covered trade, economic, industrial and investment cooperation between Pakistan and France, along with other matters of mutual interest.

The ambassador invited the Chief Minister to visit France to promote trade ties. He also invited French investors to invest in agriculture, industry and livestock in Punjab under PIVOT.

The two sides discussed GSP Plus matters and the prospects for Pakistani exports to European markets. Pakistan's exports to the European Union reached about 8.96 billion dollars in fiscal year 2025-26. The reports also note that France provided a loan of 180 million euros for NTDC transmission lines and grid stations in Punjab.

Maryam Nawaz said GSP Plus is a lifeline for Pakistan's exports and Punjab's industrial economy. She also said Pakistan and France are bound by a friendship spanning decades. She said France has supported Pakistan's GSP Plus status at ministerial level in the past.

She invited French investors to take part in the Urban Wastewater Governance project in Punjab's big cities. She said French dairy, food processing and cold chain firms could increase value addition in agriculture.

The Chief Minister said French utilities could take part in water, wastewater and solid waste services under a public-private partnership model. She added that French energy companies could take part in solar, grid and energy saving projects in industrial estates.

She also said French institutions could help train Punjab's workforce for PIVOT industrial clusters. According to the reports, she described France's recognition of Palestine and its principled position on justice and equal rights as commendable.