Pakistan, France join hands for reconstruction after flood devastation

France and Pakistan have agreed to join hands for the recovery and reconstruction of the economy in the wake of the devastating floods in Pakistan. France will organize an international conference to help Pakistan this year.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif And French President Emmanuel Macron met on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday.

Apart from discussing the promotion of bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to mobilize international support for Pakistan to help in its recovery. Rebuild its economy On a sustainable basis as a result of the recent catastrophic floods in Pakistan related to climate change.

To bring together relevant international financing partners and development partners, France will host an international conference before the end of the year aimed at Restoration and rebuilding Pakistan’s flood-affected areas and, with the help of climate-resilient reconstruction financing, accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

APP added: Prime Minister also met Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on the sidelines of UNGA. Shehbaz stressed the need for deepening multi-faceted Pakistan-Spain relations while laying special emphasis on inter-parliamentary relations as well as security and defense cooperation. The Spanish President emphasized bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and people-to-people links.

The Prime Minister appreciated the support and solidarity of the Spanish government in the context of the major floods caused by climate change in Pakistan and expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by Spain to the affected people. He gave details of the destruction of crops, houses, livestock and critical infrastructure caused by the floods. The Prime Minister emphasized that Pakistan is among the countries most affected by the effects of climate change. He hoped that the international community would help mitigate the negative effects of the flood by actively participating in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.

In the regional context, the Prime Minister emphasized Pakistan’s support for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, prosperous and connected Afghanistan. He added that Afghanistan is facing dire humanitarian situation as well as dire challenges for its economy. He emphasized that sustained, practical and meaningful engagement of the international community with Afghanistan is essential to ensure the welfare of the Afghan people and promote the common goals of peace, security and development in the country.

The Prime Minister invited President Sanchez to visit Pakistan as soon as possible. Shahbaz Sharif and Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer reviewed bilateral relations and discussed regional issues in a separate meeting. The Prime Minister highlighted the enormous devastation caused by the extraordinary climatic floods in Pakistan and the government’s initiatives to tackle this huge challenge. He expressed gratitude for Austria’s continued support for the GSP+ scheme, stressing that the mutually beneficial arrangement has yielded positive results for both parties.

The Prime Minister also met Iranian President Syed Ibrahim Raisi and thanked the Iranian government and people for their solidarity and support with the people of Pakistan in the wake of the massive floods.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economic and trade, energy and communications, cultural ties and people-to-people links.

The Prime Minister informed that Pakistan appreciates the Supreme Leader’s strong and steadfast support for the just struggle of the people of India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).

On Tuesday, Shahbaz Sharif attended the opening ceremony of the High Level General Debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) at the General Assembly Hall. The Prime Minister arrived at UN Headquarters to attend a reception by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the Heads of State/Government attending the UNGA meeting.

During the reception, the Prime Minister interacted with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. Earlier, the prime minister arrived in New York on Monday night to lead the Pakistani delegation to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is attended by around 140 world leaders.

The prime minister is scheduled to address the 193-member assembly during its high-level debate on September 23. The debate will begin on Tuesday and end on September 26.