Pakistan-German Bilateral Government Consultation was held at Ministry of Economic Affairs today. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Islam Zeb, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA). The German Delegation was headed by Mr. Florian Karner, Minister for Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation. Other members of German delegation include; Dr. Sebastian Paust, Head of Development Cooperation German Embassy, Helene Paust, Development Cooperation German Embassy, Sebastian Jacobi, Country Director KfW Pakistan, Abrar Ahmad, Senior Sector Expert and MEA focal point, Tobias Becker, Country Director GIZ Pakistan, Olaf Handloegten, Cluster Coordinator Sustainable Economic Development, Training and Employment GIZ, Ulrich Hueser, Cluster Coordinator Governance GIZ, Stoyanka Stich, Cluster Coordinator Energy GIZ, Heike Friemert, Portfolio management GIZ, Albert Grosse Hokamp, Project Leader BGR Pakistan GIZ. The Pakistani Delegation was headed by Mr. Islam Zeb, Joint Secretary EAD. Other members include; Mr. M. Khalid Khan, Deputy Secretary EAD, Ms. Sundas Irshad, Section Officer EAD, Ms. Sehar Manno, Deputy Secretary (EFC), Ministry of Finance, Mr. Zarin Syed, Assistant Chief, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Dr. Khalid Memood, Director General (NAVTTC), and Mr. Akhtar Abbas, FBR. Mr. Islam Zeb warmly welcomed the German delegation to the Ministry and appreciated the Excellency Mr. Florian Karner for leading this development dialogue. While highlighting the cordial relationship, he stated that Germany is one of the most valued partner of Pakistan which is being home to a large number of Pakistani Diaspora, a reliable source for investment, remittances and economic assistance to Pakistan. He further stated that Pakistan and Germany have in place well-structured mechanisms for dialogue in various spheres. “The Pakistan-Germany Bilateral Government consultations and negotiations are two important pillars of our relationship” stated the Joint Secretary. He further expressed gratitude for the German Humanitarian Flood Relief Assistance for the flood victims of Pakistan. Mr. Florian Karner, the German Head of delegation, appreciated the MoEA for arranging the Bilateral Consultation. He extended heartfelt condolence to the flood affected families in Pakistan and assured complete assistance for early restoration. He further apprised that Germany has expedited its short-term humanitarian assistance and middle-and long-term cooperation for Pakistan in this difficult situation. The total amount of German support for Pakistan currently adds up to approximately € 60m. “We are committed to continue our support to Pakistan. Germany wants to help our partners to be more resilient for long-term” said Mr. Karner. The meeting discussed numerous agendas on which detailed consultation was made. The status of flood related projects and on-going development projects were deliberated along with the hurdles which are delaying the completion of the projects. Mr. Islam Zeb questioned the concerned departments for the reason of delays and instructed them timelines to submit responses. Mr. Karner appreciated the efforts and proposed priority areas for future commitments which will include Social Security, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, Energy Transmission and Renewable Energy, and Promoting Employment through Women Empowerment. On his concluding remarks, Mr. Karner apprised the Joint Secretary that the Government-to-Government Negotiations between Pakistan and Germany is going to be held in Frankfurt in May 2023. He also extended warm invitation to the Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to visit Germany. On his concluding remarks, Mr. Islam Zeb appreciated the kind German assistance and reiterated that Pakistan and the Germany enjoys long-standing cooperative relations. Pakistan is working together very closely with the German Embassy in Islamabad for substantially enhancing aid effectiveness, optimizing and better aligning funding allocations for this year. He further assured the German delegation prompt resolution of the issues and timelines of the pending projects. The meeting was followed by lunch hosted by MoEA
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