KARACHI: His Highness the Aga Khan began an official visit to France on Friday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, marking his first international engagement since assuming the leadership of the Ismaili Imamat earlier this year.
The Aga Khan was welcomed at the Elysee Palace, where he joined President Macron for a lunch and private discussions. The meeting culminated in the signing of three major agreements.
The principal agreement formalised cooperation between the French Republic and the Ismaili Imamat across a wide range of areas, including development investment, humanitarian support, healthcare, education, culture, agriculture, food security, environmental protection, infrastructure and the promotion of social cohesion. It also outlined collaboration on international diplomacy, with a shared commitment to peace, pluralism, civil society development and interfaith dialogue.
Two additional declarations of intent were signed. One outlines cooperation in Syria to support a peaceful transition, protect human dignity, rebuild communities and assist displaced populations. The other focuses on the regeneration of coastal zones and marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean, including the sustainable development of Mayotte.
Following his meeting with President Macron, the Aga Khan held talks with other French government officials. Two cultural agreements were signed: one between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), and another between AKTC and the Musee Guimet.
The Aga Khan’s visit highlights decades of cooperation between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the French Development Agency (AFD), which have partnered on more than 60 projects across Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. AKDN is also a founding member of the Paris Peace Forum.
The Aga Khan will also meet with members of the Ismaili community from France, Switzerland, Belgium and Cote d’Ivoire.