NEW YORK: France has agreed to mobilise international support for Pakistan to help recover the latter’s economy on a sustainable footing in the aftermath of the recent devastating floods related to climate change.

“France will host an international conference before the end of the year aimed at the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas affected by the floods in Pakistan,” said the joint statement

This came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

The global moot aims at bringing together international financial partners and the development actors concerned. France, one of the key members of the European Union, would also help Pakistan with climate-resilient reconstruction related financing, to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

The two leaders expressed their wish to renew the bilateral relationship between France and Pakistan.

More than 1,500 people have so far been killed in floods led by heavy rains. The scale of the disaster was more than the available resources, according to Pakistan’s nerve centre for coordination efforts for relief activities. In its fresh appeal on Tuesday, the NFRCC exhorted 2/3 of the country’s people, which were unaffected by the floods triggered by heavy rains, to send financial and food support to the flood victims.

The French president expressed his support for Pakistan which continues to face unprecedented floods and presented his condolences to the PM as well as to the families and loved ones of the victims. He expressed France’s readiness to continue the humanitarian and material support provided from the first days of the disaster.

As many as 75 small dewatering plants and other items have so far reached Pakistan from France.

“The two leaders welcomed the appointment of a Pakistani ambassador to France as an important first step towards reviving the relationship, and agreed to strengthen it, particularly in the field of agricultural development,” said the statement.

They discussed the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the rest of the world. Macron presented to PM Sharif the ‘FARM (Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission)’ initiative aimed at responding in a coordinated manner to the food crisis aggravated by Russian aggression.

They also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. “The head of state expressed his deep concern about the violations of fundamental rights by the Taliban regime, and France’s determination to continue its humanitarian action in favour of the populations.”