Islamabad, July 03: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought “pragmatic cooperation” from France in the field of civil nuclear energy to meet Pakistan’s growing energy needs.
During a meeting here with visiting Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the chief military advisor to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Gilani proposed that the governments of Pakistan and France should chalk out a roadmap for pragmatic cooperation in civil nuclear energy.
A working group could be established to “develop an agreed way forward on nuclear cooperation”, Gilani said.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House quoted Guillaud as saying that he hoped both countries would make headway on cooperation in trade and civil nuclear energy during the visit of the French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade to Pakistan on July 20.
In recent months, Pakistan has turned to France for cooperation in the civilian nuclear field as a counter-balance to the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal.
However, France has said it will only cooperate with Pakistan on nuclear safety issues.
Guillaud also met President Asif Ali Zardari. Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said it was decided during Zardari’s recent visit to France that the two countries would enhance and explore new areas of cooperation in energy, including civilian nuclear power plants, trade, civil aviation and defence.
Referring to the military operation against militants in the country’s northwest, Gilani urged countries like France to extend full support to Pakistan by providing military equipment and aid to deal with terrorists effectively.
Guillaud assured Gilani that France would provide military equipment, including Tiger helicopters, to Pakistan.
The Prime Minister also warned of the possibility of militants crossing over into Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan province, in the wake of enhanced deployment of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
He also said Pakistan is looking forward to Sarkozy’s upcoming visit and the signing of two framework pacts on defence, security and counter-terrorism issues and on cooperation in the economics and energy fields.
Admiral Guillaud today also met President Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidency.
During the meeting between Zardari and Guillaud, the two sides discussed the Friends of Pakistan initiative, rehabilitation of people displaced by the anti-Taliban operations and the drive against militants.
Guillaud also met army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Gen Tariq Majid, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
-Agencies