Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has urged the international community to offer special incentives to Pakistan in trade keeping in view its sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism.
She was addressing a joint news conference along with her German counterpart Guido Westerwelle after their talks in Islamabad on Friday.
The Foreign Minister said that Pakistan prefers trade and preferential market access for its long term and sustainable development.
The Minister expressed satisfaction that German assistance for
Pakistan has increased three folds in three years from just 34 million
Euros to 145 million Euros.
She pointed out that Germany is the largest trading partner of
Pakistan within the European Union. Total volume of trade between the
two countries is 2.2 billion dollars and the balance happens to be in
favour of Pakistan.She pointed out that Germany is the fifth largest
investor in Pakistan and many German companies are working in Pakistan
and doing profitable business.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the need for evolution of an
institutional mechanism to give concrete shape to proposals for enhanced
cooperation in areas of renewable energy and vocational training.
Hina Rabbani Khar said Pakistan will continue to play constructive
role for peace and stability in Afghanistan and it will participate in
the Bonn conference next month with the same spirit.
She said peace and stability in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s own
interest as it has suffered immensely due to instability in the
neighbouring country.
The Foreign Minister categorically stated that Pakistan has no hidden
agenda about Afghanistan but it gestures needs to be reciprocated by
the other side. She said the tendency of negative narrative against
Pakistan with regard to its Afghan policy helps many other players but
it is our collective responsibility to work together to consolidate
gains and achieve more successes.
The German Foreign Minister said his country is keen to intensify
bilateral cooperation with Pakistan for its sustainable economic
development.
He announced that Germany wants to further develop relations with
Pakistan as an equal partner. He said he has come to Pakistan with a
message to forge strategic cooperation between the two countries and
said Germany is ready to extend cooperation in renewable energy and
vocational training.
The German Foreign Minister said his country supports opening of the
EU market for Pakistani products and hoped that a breakthrough in this
regard would be achieved at WTO soon.
He said Pakistan is playing a very important role for a better future
of Afghanistan and welcomed commitment of Pakistan that it has no
hidden agenda vis-a-vis Afghanistan. He said stabilization of
Afghanistan is important for its neighbours and the world. He said
Pakistan and Germany would work together at Bonn Conference on
Afghanistan to move towards the objective of securing a peaceful and
stable Afghanistan.
To a question he said there is no military solution of Afghanistan
and only political solution would be durable. He, however, said
military engagement is required to stabilize Afghanistan and ensure
success of the political solution. SANA
