May 07 , 2015
News
Australian FM announces $19m aid package for Pakistan
* Aid package includes $8 million help for border areas hit by conflict and natural disasters
INPISLAMABAD: Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday announced a $19 million aid package for Pakistan that includes help for border areas hit by conflict and natural disasters.
Bishop made the pledge during a two-day visit to Islamabad, where she is holding talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz on efforts to counter militancy, the future of Afghanistan and the reported rise of the Islamic State group in the region.
The aid package includes $8 million to help restore infrastructure damaged by floods and conflict in the restive northwest and southwest, and around $8 million to support a trade initiative in partnership with the World Bank. It has not yet been announced where the remaining assistance will be spent.
The Australian foreign minister said the two countries “have common interests in countering transnational crimes including drug- and human-smuggling”. Bishop said she would also encourage Australian tourism to Pakistan, which has been battling an insurgency for over a decade. “People-to-people links are important and of course we want to see Pakistan as a safe and secure environment so that you can engage international visitors,” she said.
Sartaj Aziz, the Advisor to PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs, briefed the visiting dignitary on Pakistan’s relations with neighbouring India and Afghanistan. She is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif today.
“My visit and meeting with Pakistani leaders is aimed at discussing the growing strength of our bilateral partnership and important regional and international issues,” Bishop said in a statement on her arrival.
Bishop will also deliver a speech on women’s empowerment and gender equality issues in order to highlight the support of the Australian government to Pakistan in this regard. The audience of her speech will include senior government officials and lawmakers. The Australian foreign minister would moreover visit Lahore today and meet with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
She is also scheduled to inaugurate a project funded by the Australian government. The foreign minister’s visit comes nearly two months after Pakistan and Australia agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of defence and security, including military training. A statement issued by the Foreign Office had earlier said, “Pakistan and Australia will explore the possibilities of further strengthening the existing ties - especially in trade, investment, agriculture, education, sports and defence. There will be renewed focus on elevating economic engagement and boosting bilateral trade.”
Addressing a joint news conference along with Australian counterpart, Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan and Australia enjoy excellent relations, which are based on mutual respect and shared interests. He said the two sides have agreed to further consolidate the existing friendly people to people contacts, underpinned by the presence of eighty thousand strong Pakistani diaspora and around 13,000 Pakistani students in Australia.
He said our talks focused on the need for regular political exchanges between the two countries including high-level visits. “We feel that exchange of parliamentary visits is important.” He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Australia this year or early next year.
Appreciating Australian development cooperation programme for Pakistan, Aziz said Pakistan intends to strengthen interaction with Australia in agriculture, livestock and water resource management. “We want both the countries to focus more on sports and culture.”
The adviser said both the countries share common perceptions in combating terrorism. He said, “We have resolved to continue our cooperation in countering terrorism and transnational crimes.”
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said her country attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Pakistan. “We have long been friends and want to diversify cooperation in different fields.” She said her country has strong and long-standing defence relations with Pakistan. She said it is vital for the region that both Pakistan and Afghanistan work together to manage the porous border and effectively fight the menace of terrorism.
When asked about Australian-India civil nuclear cooperation, she pointed out that her country is a powerhouse and wants to export energy to the world. She said currently both Australia and India are negotiating the deal. She however said her country will extend the facility to India under strict controls. On the issue of Kashmir dispute, Bishop admitted the issue needs to be resolved. She said her country will encourage both Pakistan and India to resolve the dispute through negotiations.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk