HYDERABAD, March 24 The ambassador of France to Pakistan, Daniel Jouanneau, has stressed the need for a dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir issue and said “We know it is difficult but we want Pakistan and India to hold dialogue on the issue.”

He was speaking at a ceremony held at the University of Sindh on Tuesday to distribute certificates among students of International Relations who have completed a two-semester French language course.

The ambassador said that Pakistan was a great friend of France among Asian countries and the relationship between the two countries was decades-old. He said that the reason behind sustained relationship between Pakistan and France was that the latter respected Islam.

He said that France had published a number of important books on Islam written by French scholars. He said that France hosted a 5 million-strong community of Muslims, including Pakistanis, whereas only 1.6 million Muslims lived in United Kingdom.

He said that French was the second largest spoken language of the world after English and it was spoken in 50 countries. He said that by learning French, people could acquire knowledge available in the language, “I encourage people of Pakistan to learn French language,” he added.

He said that respect for Islam was embedded in French culture and added that there were some Muslim ministers in the France government and 12 big mosques in different cities of France. He said that the subject of Islamic Studies was taught in primary and secondary schools in his country.

He said that the Europeans desired peace and stability in South Asia and Pakistan. He said that they believed in democratic values and France had always supported Pakistan in promotion of democracy. He added that France believed in equality of man and woman and they knew that Islam was a religion of peace and tolerance.

He said that people of Pakistan were peaceful and hoped that the present democratic government would properly address the issue of terrorism.

Speaking on the occasion, University of Sindh Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui said that the presence of five million Muslims in France spoke volumes for the hospitality of France.

He said that visits and interaction helped in understanding of culture and values and requested the ambassador to visit different parts of Pakistan.

The ambassador distributed certificates among the students of the department of International Relations who have completed French language course.

Earlier, the ambassador met with the vice-chancellor in his office, who briefed him about the history of the university and degree programmes offered by the university.

The Consul General of France at Karachi, Pierre Seillan, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh and Registrar Mohammad Saleh Rajar also attended the meeting.

The ambassador also visited department of International Relations and Institute of Sindhology.

MEETING WITH DCO The French ambassador and consul-general met Hyderabad DCO Aftab Ahmed Khatri and exchanged views on the ongoing development schemes in the district with him.

The French envoys were happy to note that the historic city had made strides in development activities. The DCO briefed the French diplomats on the ongoing development works, including flyovers, Hyderabad Master Plan and Geographical Information System.