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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (41263)	10/29/2001 3:04:11 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

Acknowledging mistake of forsaking Pakistan after Afghan Jihad against the Soviets, Germany has offered "Priority Partner Country" status to enlarge bilateral cooperation in future. General Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarier Wieczorek-Zeul said: "Support which is taking place for a certain time would disappoint the country. That was a mistake of international society at that time." Addressing a press conference here on Sunday with Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, she said that this issue was discussed in all meetings, and the German chancellor acknowledged it, ensuring support for Pakistan through bilateral and multilateral institutions for poverty reduction. "It is permanent," she said. Giving details of the new bilateral agreements, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz announced signing of an aide-memoir with Germany granting "Priority Partner Country" status to Pakistan, thereby restoring bilateral aid, with a grant of DM 50 million for current fiscal year as well as debt for social sector swap arrangements of DM 50 million each for next two years. The concept of priority partnership is a new one, particularly designed to help the developing countries, specifying use of international aid. This global structural policy is the cornerstone of German initiative to improve the economic, social, environmental and political structures in its partner countries in the South and East, as well as to improve global structures to facilitate sustainable development. In pursuance of this objective, funding for the Development Ministry was increased by 1.8 per cent, to about DM 7.8 billion in 1999. The German government also expects new impetus to be provided as a result of the strengthening and improved coordination of development policies at the European level and of the more active role now played by Germany in international organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. In this context, Germany intends to support social sector structural adjustment programmes as well as debt reduction efforts. Regarding Pakistan's request for waiver of $1.08 billion bilateral loans, Wieczorek-Zeul said that it would be discussed further with other ministries to stretch out the repayment period, or even to consider more debt for social sector swaps. Germany, being one of the largest economies of the European Union, is expected to support government's efforts of lowering debt burden to achieve some fiscal space for poverty alleviation programmes. The DM 100 million swap arrangement announced by the minister would be for two years, under soft IDA terms. Shaukat Aziz hoped that it would be converted into a grant afterwards. The German minister also nodded positively to such possibility. The Hermes Kreditversicherungs-AG and PwC Deutsche Revision AG would also provide DM 100 million suppliers credit to Pakistan. Hermes works on the lines of the US EXIM Bank, offering political risks associated with export transactions. German exporters could utilise this facility for their machinery exports to Pakistan, particularly in the textile and hi-tech industries. Germany provides these guarantees up to a statutory maximum exposure limit, which is fixed annually by Parliament.

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (41263)	10/29/2001 7:02:52 PM
From: Jeff Jordan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

>>>six people on two motorcycles <<< that's an amazing feat in itself? So, it's not about just hatred against Americans and the west? Its also religious intolerance?....Pakistanis killing their own people because they worship ISA? They can't even shoot them down in the street, they have to do it in a church? I don't think God is too happy about this event! .....Unbelievable? Pakistan needs to let the 5,000 or so who want to go to afghanistan to join the taliban go,or better yet, lock them up in internment camps.