Consul General of France in Karachi Alexis Chahtahtinsky has said that both Pakistan and France are committed to maintain peace in the region and in the world, appreciating the Pakistan’s mediation efforts to bring peace in the region.
Addressing an event held to celebrate French National Day, which is also known as Bastille Day, CG Chahtahtinsky said that France has indeed been very appreciative of the remarkable mediation efforts deployed by Pakistan’s leadership in order to bring about a ceasefire in the 40 days’ war between the United States and Iran.
Recalling the negotiation process, he said French President Macron has had lengthy exchanges over the phone with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the same goes for foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar.
He said that this all contributed to a negotiating process that led to the recent signing of the “14 point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” – an MoU that was signed by President Trump in Versailles on 17th June 2026.
He said both nations have a shared commitment for peace – since peace is a prerequisite for international development, trade and prosperity. Chahtahtinsky said France has a demonstrated track-record as being Pakistan’s trusted friend and recalled that France was the first non-Muslim nation to recognize Pakistan’s independence in 1947.
He said France has been standing alongside Pakistan at all stages of its development, maintaining a constant dialogue at the political level - a dialogue that was particularly intense in the years when Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto were presiding over the destinies of this country, but a dialogue that endures until today.
He said this dialogue has kept all its relevance today, as both our nations are committed to maintain peace in the region and in the world.
Regarding the city of Karachi, he said Karachi is definitely the Gateway to Pakistan, and its importance cannot be overestimated. He said Karachi is Pakistan’s biggest port on the Arabian Sea, through which most of Pakistan’s imports and exports are transiting to keep the country going. He said French companies have been playing an active role in connecting Pakistan to world markets: some of them have been present here for quite some time, others are relatively newcomers, having discovered only recently the opportunities of the Pakistani market.
The French CG said the world’s number 3 shipping company CMA-CGM, a French company with headquarters based in Marseilles, has long been present here, working closely with CEVA Logistics and World Wide Group.
On the trading side, he said Louis Dreyfuss Company (LDC) has been active in trading grains and other commodities. Schneider Electric (a French company, indeed) has been providing first-class electrical appliances throughout Pakistan, including the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant.
He said other major French companies such as L’Oréal, which is present for 15 years in the Pakistani market and a remarkable CSR program that has allowed Pakistani women, sometimes from underprivileged background, to grow richer and more beautiful – as they rightly deserve.
He said that Pakistani companies, such as Gul Ahmed or Chottani industries, are in turn exporting more and more to France, taking advantage of their privileged access to European markets through the GSP + agreement.
The French CG said France also extends cooperation the country towards education and culture as preservation of cultural heritage is a top priority for France. He said France and Pakistan have enjoyed cooperating for over 60 years in the field of Archeology, with French archeologists excavating thousands of artefacts across Baluchistan and Sindh.
He also announced that the Consulate General of France is preparing to close down permanently and the decision was made by the French government solely for budgetary reasons, as part of an effort to make the presence abroad “thinner and leaner”.
He, however, said that France shall continue deepening relationship with Pakistan, working primarily through our Embassy in Islamabad.
He said the French presence in Karachi will remain, relying in the future with the earliest appointment of a new honorary consul in Karachi, who shall perform consular duties and liaise with provincial authorities; with a dynamic bilateral Chamber of Commerce (the Pakistan France Business - Alliance), which will continue actively building business and trade ties; with an Alliance Française Karachi playing its full role in promoting the French language and culture in this vibrant city.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah congratulated the French people on the eve of national day and said that Bastille day commemorate the value of liberty equality, and fraternity principles that happens find people across the world and continue to resonate strongly in contemporary societies. He said that this day was not only a defining moment in French history, but also the enduring ideals of democracy, human dignity, and social progress.
