Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved the formation of Pak-France Joint Business Council between FPCCI and MEDEF to enhance bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. This was stated by the Federal Advisor on Textile Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig here on Thursday.
He said that a formal agreement is to be signed on the forthcoming visit of French Prime Minister to Pakistan in May this year in the presence of representatives from FPCCI. He said that Prime Minister Gilani has also requested Secretary General of French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Pierre Sellal to support Pakistan's case in the European Union (EU) for the tariff concession on the import of 75 Pakistani products mainly textile.
Baig pointed out that European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has told the EU lawmakers that the Union was actively working on that to get a solution. It may be noted that an original European Union (EU) plan, unveiled in October last year had declared that duty suspensions would effect about 900 million euros worth of Pakistani exports to the EU and estimated Pakistan could boost sales to the EU by 100 million euros.-PR