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Date: 13/03/2009
FOREIGN MINISTER HOLDS PAKISTAN-EUROPEAN UNION TROIKA MINISTERIAL MEETING IN PRAGUE
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid an official visit to the Czech Republic on 13-14 March 2009 for a Ministerial meeting with the EU Troika and to also hold bilateral consultations with his Czech Counterpart. He paid a courtesy call on the Czech Prime Minster Mr. Mirek Topolanek. The Foreign Minister gave an exclusive interview to a Czech TV CT 24.
The EU Troika comprised the current EU President Czech Foreign Minister Karel Sehwarzenberg, EU’s next President Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and the European Union’s External Affairs Commissioner Beita Ferraro Waldner.
At the Troika meeting they discussed Pak-EU state of relations, exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest including war against terrorism, situation in Afghanistan, relations with India, non-proliferation, human rights and regional cooperation.
Meeting with the Troika was very productive as both sides agreed to comprehensively upgrade the relations and expressed interest to have a Summit level engagement, possible, during the Czech Presidency. Despite the economic crunch, the EU expressed its willingness to assist Pakistan in meeting its economic challenges.
The EU committed to send its Representative to attend the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum meeting in Tokyo on 16-17 April, 2009. The EU Ministers expressed complete support to the democratic government, undertook to help Pakistan in strengthening and capacity building to the institutions including the civil services, law enforcement agencies and the judicial institutions.
Both sides agreed to deepen the process of mutually beneficial engagement and in this context agreed to embark on an ambitious agenda encompassing the political, economic, strategic, scientific, technological and cultural spheres of cooperation.
The Foreign Minister thanked the EU for a grant of € 50 million for food facility for 2009-2010 to mitigate the impact of IMF loan conditions on the poor. He expressed gratitude for removal of anti-dumping duties on Pakistan’s bed linen with effect from 5 March 2009, which may raise Pakistan’s exports of the EU by approximately US $ 300 million.
The Foreign Minister deeply appreciated the EU for organizing an experts’ level preparatory meeting in Brussels on 17 March for RECCA Ministerial meeting to be held in Islamabad.
In development assistance, the EU was willing to spend € 200 million for development of education in the rural areas and the counter-insurgency operation hit areas. The EU Ministers acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal position in the context of regional security and stability and stabilization in Afghanistan. They were appreciative of Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism and extremism. They expressed understating that Pakistan’s role as a front line state in WOT and had inflicted colossal economic losses to her and that it deserved full economic support.
The Troika meeting also discussed the upcoming Sub Groups and the Joint Commission meetings in Brussels on 16 and 18 March, respectively.
During the bilateral meetings with Czech Prime Minster and the Foreign Minster the two sides underscored the need measures to enhance economic, investment, defence and industrial cooperation. They agreed to conclude agreements such as avoidance of double taxation and protection and promotion of investments to boost bilateral trade and investments. Both sides identified areas for bilateral cooperation and agreed to encourage private sector interaction. The Foreign Ministers agreed to upgrade bilateral consultative forum to the Ministerial level from senior official level currently. The Czech Foreign Minister accepted the Foreign Minister’s invitation to visit Pakistan on mutually convenient dates.
13 March 2009 |