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Clinton assures continued US support to flood-hit Pakistanis
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 20 (APP): The United States Sunday assured Pakistan of continued assistance and support for the flood-hit Pakistani people at a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The 30-minute meeting between the two top diplomats took place on the fringes of the special high-level Meeting on the flood emergency in Pakistan at UN Headquarters in New York. The Foreign Minister expressed profound gratitude of the people and the government of Pakistan to Secretary Clinton for the “generous assistance” provided by the U.S. for the rescue and relief operations in flood affected areas, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Mission to the U.N.He further said that the solidarity displayed by the U.S. Government and the People at this hour of anguish and misery would be long remembered by the People of Pakistan.
Clinton also assured that the U.S. Government would use its channels to urge the international community to come forward and respond positively to the Revised Pakistan Flood Emergency Response Plan September 2010, for over two billion dollars.
The Foreign Minister briefed the U.S. Secretary of State on the constitution of the 15-member National Disaster Management Oversight Council (NDMOC) with clear terms of reference. He added that all the honourable members carry impeccable record of integrity and high reputation.
Moreover, the NDMA is working on a website to clearly indicate the movement/distribution of cash/kind donations for flood affected people.
Clinton appreciated the establishment of the Oversight Council and said that it would adequately address the concerns of the international community on transparency at various levels, according to the statement.
Both sides underscored the need for coordinated, enhanced and transparent performance by the UN related agencies working in the flood-affected areas of Pakistan. The two sides welcomed the decision of the European Union to offer WTO waiver aimed at enhancing market access and the grant of GSP + status by 2014, for Pakistani products in the EU markets.
The Foreign Minister impressed upon the U.S. side to also consider enhanced market access for Pakistani products. This, he added, would be seen as another positive signal of the multi-faceted assistance by the U.S. side in the prevailing economic conditions in Pakistan.
The Foreign Minister sought U.S. support in the successful convening of the forthcoming FoDP (friend of Democratic Pakistan) meeting in Brussels on October 15. He said that the Pakistan side would add the floods situation in Pakistan as another agenda item in the meeting.
“We would be interested to know how the EU members would help us in the Reconstruction phase,” he said. Foreign Minister Qureshi also asked the U.S. government to facilitate the holding of international donors conference in Islamabad in November this year for obtaining assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected areas.
He further asked the U.S. Secretary of State for expeditious reimbursement of CSF claims. This, he said would provide the much needed fiscal flexibility to the Government of Pakistan. He also called for early passage of ROZs by the U.S. Congress.
Secretary Clinton promised to look into the matter herself. The Foreign Minister reiterated invitation to President Barack Obama to visit Pakistan in the near future. Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and USAID administrator, Rajiv Shah, were also present at the meeting.
Courtesy www.app.com.pk