Karachi: Consul General of France Alexis Shatansky welcomed the guests attending the grand ceremony of French Independence Day (Bastille Day) in Karachi on July 14, 2025, and said that it was an honor for him to be hosting this day as the representative of the French government in Sindh and Balochistan.
The ceremony was attended by diplomatic, business, educational and cultural figures including Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Provincial Minister for Information Sharjeel Memon and Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani.
In his address, the Consul General said that July 14 is also Armed Forces Day in France, reminding us of the revolutionary principles of liberty, equality and fraternity that transformed France in the 1789 Revolution. He said that 236 years ago, the people of Paris, led by General Lafayette, stormed the Bastille prison and ended the system of tyranny and dictatorship. Today, the spirit of this freedom is resonating all over the world and celebrating this day in Karachi is a manifestation of this historic relationship.
He recalled that France was the first non-Muslim country to recognize the existence of Pakistan in 1947 and supported Pakistan in the defense sector. The Pakistan Air Force received training on French Mirage aircraft, while the Agusta submarines of the Pakistan Navy were developed in Karachi with the cooperation of French experts.
The Consul General referred to the joint presence of Pakistan and France in the United Nations Security Council and stressed the importance of playing a joint role for global peace and security. He said that the need for protection of coastal areas and mangroves was emphasized at the UN Ocean Summit held in Nice, France last month, which is also important for Sindh and Balochistan.
He said that relations between France and Pakistan are not limited to defense alone but are now expanding to sectors such as culture, education and health, business and environment. He said that President Macron and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had met on various occasions from 2022 to the recent ‘One Water Summit’ and vowed to increase cooperation after the floods.
He appreciated Pakistan’s economic recovery, which has also been recognized by the IMF, and said that this situation is creating more investment opportunities in Pakistan for French companies, including CMA/CGM, Schneider Electric, Thales, L’Oreal, and Peugeot, while Pakistani companies such as Gul Ahmed, Chotani Industries, and Martin Dow are also increasing their presence in France.
He also announced the revival of the Pakistan-France Business Alliance, and appreciated the services of Schneider Electric CEO Humayun Akhlaq in this. The Consul General also highlighted the ongoing cooperation between France and Pakistan in the field of archaeology for the past 60 years.
French experts have excavated thousands of antiquities in Sindh and Balochistan, which highlight the local culture on the global stage. He appreciated the cooperation with the Aga Khan University, IBA and other institutions, and described the Alliance Française Karachi as the oldest foreign cultural institution in Pakistan, established in 1954.
He said that now there is a permanent representative of Campus France in Karachi so that Pakistani students can get education opportunities in France. In the end, he raised the slogans
“Vive la République, Vive la France – Long live Pakistan”