France Permanently Closes Consulate in Major Pakistani City

Following a 50-year tenure, the Consulate General of France in Karachi will permanently close, announced outgoing French Ambassador Nicolas Galey at a farewell ceremony on Tuesday. The consulate, established in 1976, will close as Galey and French Consul General Alexis Chahtahtinsky depart their respective roles. A new ambassador will replace Galey in Islamabad, yet the Karachi consulate will not persist with its operations.

Galey stated that the Alliance Française would assume France's principal role in Karachi, while the Pakistan France Business Alliance would carry on its activities in the city. Chahtahtinsky, concluding his four-year tenure as consul general in Karachi, expressed his lasting memories of the city, recalling his first visit as a student in 1983.

He praised Pakistan's role in regional diplomacy, particularly its efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gulf conflict. At the event, Karachi Council of Foreign Relations Vice Chairman Ikram Sehgal emphasized France's long-standing relationship with Pakistan, including cooperation in defense and aviation. Sehgal lamented the decision to close the consulate, noting that France could benefit from Pakistan's emerging trade and geopolitical prospects.