ISLAMABAD: To express solidarity with the families of the victims who were martyred in the terrorist blasts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, French Ambassador Marc Barety observed a one minute silence in the outset of celebrations of France’s independence day. The French envoy, on behalf of the French government and people of France, strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Mastung, Peshawar and Bannu and expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan. A one-minute silence was also observed on the occasion to show respect to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks. Marc Barety spoke of strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. Stressing about unity, the ambassador said unity is absolutely vital for France, for Pakistan and for the international community. “We see today a growing number of threats looming large on the international system, populism, terrorism, trade war, disrespect of our common standards and attempts to dismantle the multilateral system. Peace is at risk at a time when we celebrate the end of World War I, a century ago,” he said. “For this reason, French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to arrange the Paris Forum for Peace from November 11-13. The goal is to bring together all the forces that believe in multilateralism, collective action, cooperation and regulation. These tools are not perfect, but they are indispensable to confront successfully the major challenges we are facing, from climate change to migration, terrorism or Internet disorders. Governments cannot act efficiently in isolation and the West cannot cope alone. This is why in addition to representative of various state, we will invite international organisations, non-governmental organisations, local or provincial governments, municipalities, trade unions, religious groups, companies, journalists and experts,” Barety said. He also emphasised the need for enhanced trade relations with Pakistan, besides expanding cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Speaking at a reception hosted by French Embassy on Saturday, Ambassador Barety said that close cooperation between Pakistan and France will be a source of inspiration for the region. Appreciating the youth, the ambassador said that Pakistani youth have energy, dynamism, and creativity. He said that on Friday, the French embassy arranged an exhibition of the National Collage of Arts artists titled The Real & Its Double. “Their production is impressive and deserves to be praised. This exhibition was also a contest. I am proud to announce that they jury has awarded two first prizes and five second prizes, that we are now going to hand over to the winners, whose art work is being shown. The first prizes go to Faryal Yazdani and Yasin Khan, who will visit France,” he went on saying. Federal Minister Barrister Syed Ali Zafar revealed that France was the first non-Muslim country that accorded recognition to Pakistan in the wake of its inception. He stressed the need to enhance economic and cultural ties of the two countries. He also underscored the need for learning from the French experience in various fields, especially in dealing with the challenges posed by the climate change and population control. Earlier, national anthems of both the countries were played. The representatives from the diplomatic community, civil society and government officials attended the reception. Published in Daily Times, July 16th 2018.