France appreciates Pak Gulf mediation

France has expressed appreciation for Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf and is looking to deepen bilateral ties with Islamabad despite its longstanding strategic relationship with India, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. The assessment came as Pakistan and France held the eighth round of their Joint Security Commission in Islamabad, with the talks focusing on defence and security cooperation as well as regional developments. French Secretary General for Defence and National Security (SGDSN) Nicolas Roche led the French delegation, while Pakistan's Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Muhammad Ali headed the Pakistani side. Diplomatic sources said France viewed Pakistan's efforts to promote diplomacy and dialogue in the Gulf positively, particularly at a time of heightened regional tensions. They said Paris was also interested in developing closer relations with Islamabad, although France's strategic partnership with India remained an important element of its South Asia policy. The sources pointed out that high-level exchanges between Pakistan and France had been relatively limited in recent years. Roche's visit is particularly significant because the last French secretary general for defence and national security to visit Pakistan was in 2019. The sixth round of the Joint Security Commission was held in Rawalpindi in July 2019. The mechanism has been meeting since 2011 to maintain high-level exchanges on security cooperation and counterterrorism. A senior Pakistani foreign office official described Roche's visit as important, saying it reflected "steady progress" in bilateral ties. "France is an important European and international player and has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. We want to continue making strides in our relationship," the official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. The official, however, cautioned against expecting any major breakthrough from the current engagement. "Nothing dramatic is expected, but the effort is to keep the relationship moving forward," the official said. The two sides agreed to continue bilateral dialogue and engagement under the Pakistan-France Roadmap for Bilateral Cooperation adopted in 2023. They also agreed that the next round of the Joint Security Commission would be held in France on mutually agreed dates. The discussions covered security and defence cooperation, regional security developments, counterterrorism, drug trafficking, piracy and other forms of transnational organised crime. The official also highlighted the longstanding defence relationship between Pakistan and France, particularly in the naval domain. France has historically played an important role in the development of Pakistan's submarine capability. Pakistan acquired Daphné-class submarines from France in the 1960s and later obtained Agosta submarines. In 1994, Islamabad signed a contract with the French company DCN for three Agosta 90B submarines, with technology transfer allowing two of the vessels to be built at Karachi Shipyard. The French-origin Agosta 90B programme also involved technology transfer and training for Pakistani engineers, creating an industrial link between the two countries that continued beyond the original acquisition.