BBC Home
Explore the BBC
BBC News
Launch consoleBBC NEWS CHANNEL
LANGUAGES
Urdu
Hindi
Bengali
Pashto
Nepali
Tamil
Sinhala
Last Updated: Friday, 4 July, 2003, 04:25 GMT 05:25 UK
Pakistan and France oil deal
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf who is visiting Paris, has signed a three billion dollar deal with French oil company Total to explore for oil and gas off Pakistan's southern coast.

The president also held talks with French officials, including his counterpart, Jacques Chirac.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin praised Mr Musharraf's efforts to fight terrorism, but called on Islamabad to commute the death sentences given to three Islamic militants for their part in killing 11 French technicians in Pakistan last year.

Commenting on relations with India, Mr Musharraf said he believes that a balance of conventional weapons between the two countries would help relieve tensions over Kashmir.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service



PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

News Front Page | World | UK | England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales | Politics
Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health | Education
Have Your Say | Magazine | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes
Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific