Author : DPA
Category : Finance (General)
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Tokyo - Pakistan received pledges of more than 5 billion dollars from donor countries and international groups Friday to build the nation's economic and political stability. Nearly 50 participating donors at a one-day Tokyo conference vowed to provide the struggling nation with 5.28 billion dollars worth of assistance in its fight against terrorism.
Japan and the United States announced their contributions of 1 billion dollars each over the next two years, while Saudi Arabia was to extend 700 million dollars. The European Union pledged to give 640 million dollars over four years. Iran offered 300 million dollars.
Pakistani officials, led by President Asif Ali Zardari, called the conference a success.
At the opening of the donors conference, Zardari assured the attendees that his country was ready to face its challenges.
"I assure you that with your support and with the support of the world, we are ready to do all that it takes to rid the world of this menace, which is a world problem,"Zardari said, referring to extremism and terrorism.
"I feel that you are giving us a new hope, which I can go back with to give to the people of Pakistan and tell them, 'The world stands with you,'"he added.
Japan and the World Bank, as the conference's co-chairs, stressed that Pakistan's determination was essential in the fight against terrorism.
World Bank Vice President for South Asia Isabel Guerrero, meanwhile, urged Pakistan to commit to eradicating poverty and regaining economic growth while she emphasized the importance of improving its infrastructure and increasing agricultural productivity.
It is important for the recipient country to assure the aid reaches the poor in a "transparent manner" and helps develop programmes to protect the poor from food crisis, oil price surges and the global economic downturn, Guerrero said.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed the commitment of his government and people but also called on the participating states to help fight terrorism.
"If we lose, you lose. If we lose, the world loses," he said.
Pakistan's poverty is increasing especially in the tribal belt, which is often neglected, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
But the economic aid would enable the Pakistani government to provide appropriate educational programmes as a way to alleviate poverty and rebuild its macro-economic stability, Qureshi said.
The nation hopes to achieve economic growth of 6 to 7 per cent this year, he said earlier.
In the medium-term objectives, the member states recognized the need to accelerate investments to improve infrastructure, agriculture, power and irrigation.
They also called on Pakistan to strengthen its diplomacy to attract further support from the international community while emphasizing the need for solidarity within the country, which has been racked by internal political turmoil and rivalries, a chairman's statement said.
Turkey offered to host the next meeting for the Friends of Pakistan in Istanbul. No specific date was decided.
No comments:
Post a Comment