By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: German Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck Sunday said his country backed Pakistan in its efforts to overcome the socioeconomic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and build back better for a more sustainable future.
“COVID-19 has shaken the world unexpectedly – and we will continue to feel the socioeconomic consequences of the virus for quite a long-time. Showing solidarity with each other during the trying times is the responsibility of all of us,†he said.
Ambassador Bernhard said the successful bilateral development cooperation between the two countries spanned over decades. “The current portfolio encompasses more than 500 million euros in the areas of renewable energy and climate change, sustainable economic development and good governance,†he added.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the importance of access to health and education facilities, and stressed the need to support the weakest parts of the society. He said the German Government had decided to upscale its support to local Pakistani governments in their fight against the pandemic. It had made available 0.5 million euros to Pakistan to promote activities, which would help mitigate the socioeconomic effects of the pandemic at a local level. Germany would also commit 6 million euros to support the Pakistani communities hosting Afghan refugees, to improve local health and education services, he added. The ambassador said the projects would be implemented by the German development organization Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
