The bi-annual negotiations on development cooperation between the Pakistan government and the government of Germany were held in Berlin from September 11-12, 2019.
The Pakistani delegation was headed by Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Secretary Noor Ahmed and included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The delegation from Germany was headed by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Director for Asia, Ms Gisela Hammerschmidt and included participants from the German Foreign Office, KfW Capital, German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).
The two sides took stock of the existing development cooperation and expressed satisfaction at the trajectory of cooperation in different areas since 1961. As a result of the negotiations, Germany committed … 109 Million for future German Development Cooperation in Pakistan in addition to the ongoing portfolio. The German side committed grants worth € 84 Million for financial and technical assistance projects along with a concessional loan worth … 25 Million. During the current talks, both sides underlined the importance of close cooperation and partnership. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development committed new funding in three sectors – Good Governance, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. Fresh funds will be allocated to different projects, including the Billion Tree Afforestation Project, Resilience against Natural Disasters, Local Governance, Support to People Affected by Migration and Displacement, Promotion of Renewable Energies, Social Health Protection and Improvement of Social and Labour Standards.
The Pakistani delegation briefed their German counterparts about the current and planned development priorities of the Pakistani Government, which include a stronger focus on transparency, institutional reforms, poverty alleviation, human resource development and green energy. Both sides exchanged views on increasing the cost effectiveness of development assistance initiatives and the measures to enhance cooperation with the private sector.
