236th anniversary of Bastille Day
Ambassador of France, Mr Nicolas Galey and Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb Friday evening, reaffirmed their faith in enduring partnership, increasing cooperation and growing bilateral ties.
Addressing a reception that marked the National Day of France (236th anniversary of the Bastille Day) at the residence of the French Ambassador, Senator Aurangzeb as Chief Guest remarked that Pakistan deeply valued bilateral ties with France and was committed to nurturing a broad-based and enduring partnership.
It was one-of-a-kind event that was attended apart from the diplomatic community and civil society, by a large number of members of academia, notable personalities, parliamentarians, government officials, transgenders, artists, filmmakers and media professionals.
National anthems of both the countries were played on the occasion and the guests were served with signature French cuisine and sweets.
The Pakistan International Airline’s gift, a 6-metre high model of the Eiffel Tower— all made up of galvanized steel and manufactured in China—was focus of the guests’ attention. It was placed in a quiet corner of the French Ambassador’s Residence offering an ideal opportunity for selfie.
While extending felicitation on behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan on the French National Da, Senator Aurangzeb emphasized that Pakistan and France enjoyed a long-standing relationship anchored in mutual respect, trust and a shared commitment to nurture peace, progress and prosperity.
This cooperation is multilateral, diverse and promising, he said naming a few sectors including trade and investment, security cooperation, cultural educational exchanges, and mutually beneficial collaboration on migration and labour mobility. We look forward to continued advocacy from France for a fair and supportive framework within the EU, he concluded.
Earlier in his welcome address, French ambassador Mr Nicolas Galey expressed gratitude to the guests for coming up at a time when weather is not very friendly. There is no diplomatic immunity to weather conditions, his remark brought smile at the guests’ faces.
Regarding bilateral ties with Pakistan, the French envoy said after more than three years in Pakistan, he was pleased to see that the bilateral relationship had continued to progress. “Our leaders, President Macron and Prime Minister Sharif, have frequently held meetings and again last December at the One Water Summit in Riyadh, where they decided to increase cooperation through business-to-business contacts,” he said.
He also noted a continuous increase of young Pakistanis studying in France saying, “We must and we can make progress in other sectors.”
The ambassador fondly remembered Olympian Arshad Nadeem (Gold Medal) and Para-Olympian Haider Ali (Bronze Medal) whom he feted at the embassy before and after the Paris Olympics last August.
About the French national day, the ambassador said, the powerful, enduring and universal message of the French Revolution which proclaimed Liberty and Equality for all human beings, must be reaffirmed more than ever because these values are unfortunately and increasingly being called into question or even ignored. He said only multilateralism could lead to just and lasting solutions.
