BERLIN: The Federal Republic of Germany has agreed to provide 163 million Euros in funding for development projects in Pakistan, according to a joint statement released on Monday.
The announcement came after two days of Government to Government (G2G) negotiations held in Berlin, where the Pakistani delegation was led by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, and the German delegation was led by Niels Annen, Parliamentary State Secretary for the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
The funds will be allocated towards a range of development sectors, including climate, social protection, health, water and irrigation, TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), as well as human development.
The German government sees Pakistan as a significant strategic bilateral partner in development cooperation, according to Mr. Annen, and is committed to aligning its development interventions with Pakistan’s development strategy, the 2030 Agenda, and the sustainable development goals.
During the negotiations, Mr. Annen emphasized that Pakistan and Germany share a strong and stable development cooperation history, and that Germany recognizes Pakistan as an important partner from the perspective of development cooperation and other spheres of mutual interest. He also assured the Pakistani delegation of his country’s continued support for socio-economic development in Pakistan.
In his statement, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq thanked the German government for the development assistance provided to Pakistan over the last six decades, and for the much-needed support during the 2022 floods.
He expressed his appreciation for the commitment shown by Germany to align its development cooperation with Pakistan’s development strategy, and reiterated his government’s commitment to close cooperation and robust engagement between the Ministry of Economic Affairs Pakistan and BMZ (Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development) Germany.
Pakistan-Germany talks
The negotiations were co-chaired by Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary Economic Affairs of Pakistan, and Helmut Fischer, Head of Pakistan and Afghanistan Division in BMZ.
Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to close cooperation and robust engagement between the two countries for efficient implementation of development projects to achieve the desired results. The next round of G2G negotiations will be held in Pakistan in 2025.
The development projects funded by Germany are expected to have a significant impact on the socio-economic development of Pakistan, particularly in addressing key issues such as climate change, poverty alleviation, and health care.
