Cultural celebration & free Paris flight tickets
ISLAMABAD- (By Staff Reporter) The weeklong Francophonie celebrations concluded in Islamabad with a vibrant cultural evening featuring the grand finale of the Francophonie Talent Competition, a showcase of French language and culture, and the distribution of attractive prizes, including round-trip air tickets from Islamabad to Paris for the top three winners.
The closing ceremony, held at the Mövenpick Hotel Islamabad Saturday evening, brought together ambassadors, diplomats, students, academics, businesspersons and members of the Francophone community to celebrate the diversity of the French-speaking world and the growing interest in the French language in Pakistan.
French Ambassador Nicolas Galey and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Amir Hayat Sultan addressed the gathering, while ambassadors and diplomats from Francophone countries hosted food stalls offering traditional cuisines from their respective nations.
In his remarks, Ambassador Galey congratulated the finalists and participants for their enthusiasm in learning French and engaging with Francophone cultures. He said it was a pleasure to see such keen interest among Pakistani students and language learners in the French language, which is spoken by nearly 400 million people across the world.
Reflecting on the success of the Francophonie Week, the ambassador noted that Islamabad audiences had enjoyed a rich selection of Francophone films, celebrating cultural diversity and artistic expression. He thanked the embassies of Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Morocco, Romania, Tunisia, Switzerland and Vietnam, as well as UNESCO, for their collaboration in making the event a success.
“Francophonie is much more than a language; it is a community built on shared values, cultural exchanges and mutual understanding,” Ambassador Galey said. He also praised the efforts of Alliance Française Islamabad Director Abel Monem, whose team coordinated the Francophonie Film Mela and various cultural activities throughout the week, including film screenings at Cineplex.
The ambassador highlighted the role of Alliance Française centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi in promoting French language learning and cultural exchange, encouraging students to take advantage of the educational and artistic opportunities offered by the institutions.
The evening featured the final round of the Francophonie Talent Competition, where finalists from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi competed before a distinguished audience. The top three position holders were awarded round-trip tickets from Islamabad to Paris, generously sponsored by PIA.
Addressing the ceremony, PIA CEO Air Marshal Amir Hayat Sultan described Europe as one of the most important destinations for Pakistan’s national flag carrier. He said thousands of businesspersons, students and tourists travel between Pakistan and various European countries every year through PIA services.
“We are proud of our collaboration with France and other European nations. Strengthening people-to-people contacts through travel, education and tourism remains an important part of our mission,” he said.
The ambassador also expressed gratitude to PIA for supporting the Francophonie Week and providing an opportunity for the competition winners to visit Paris and further enhance their French language skills.
Guests later enjoyed a Francophonie buffet featuring culinary specialties from across the French-speaking world, including Vietnamese Phở, Belgian waffles, Egyptian taameya, Tunisian and Moroccan couscous, and a variety of other traditional dishes prepared by embassy chefs.
Ambassador Galey also thanked Mövenpick Hotel Islamabad for hosting the event and supporting the successful organization of the closing ceremony.
Among those present were teachers and students from the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), students of Alliance Française, representatives of the American Grammar School, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders, and prominent tax lawyer Ruby Gul Advocate.
The event marked a fitting conclusion to a week dedicated to celebrating linguistic diversity, cultural exchange and the enduring ties between Pakistan and the Francophone world.
