On Friday, Germany announced an additional ten million euros to help victims of floods in Pakistan.
This was announced by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a joint press conference along with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Berlin on Friday, according to Radio Pakistan.
She expressed her condolences to the families suffering due to the devastating floods and said that Pakistan is the most affected by climate change.
Germany’s foreign minister said the current devastation in Pakistan is a reminder to the world of the dramatic consequences of climate change.
“Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries and is paying a high price for global CAT emissions, so we will work hard at Cop 27 to achieve a fair distribution of the costs of climate change and the problem of loss and damage. ” she emphasized.
Regarding bilateral relations, she said that Germany intends to diversify its relations with Pakistan in economic areas.
She said that German companies are looking forward to invest in Pakistan, especially in infrastructure projects.
The minister also appreciated Pakistan’s positive role in bringing stability to the region, especially in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan plays a very important role for stability in the region, especially with regard to Afghanistan.
“Without you as our partner, it would not have been possible to get so many Afghans out of the country. But together we managed to allow hundreds of Afghans to escape the country and move them smoothly to safer places,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal called for translating the decades of goodwill and cooperation between Pakistan and Germany into a synergistic partnership for the benefit of both nations.
Talking about the recent floods, he said that the climate disaster in Pakistan could not be defined in words as one third of the country was under water and one in seven Pakistanis were affected.
The minister said the floods have destroyed over a million houses and the country is also facing a looming food crisis.
However, he added that Pakistan has food security concerns after the floods, while the economic fallout from the natural disaster could worsen if not addressed.
“We are grateful for the German help. But I want to get justice for my people because the UN says it’s a matter of justice. Pakistan produces less than 1 percent of the global carbon footprint, but we are among the 10 most climate-stressed countries on the planet and it is unfair that these 33 million people are paying with their lives and livelihoods,” Bilawal noted.
He said Pakistan now needed its own “green revolution and green politics”.
Speaking on the Afghan issue, Bilawal called on the international community to work together to help the people of Afghanistan who are facing economic collapse and its aftermath.
At the same time, we also hope that the Afghan authorities will respond to the expectations of the Afghan community with regard to respect for human rights and inclusiveness and will take effective measures against terrorism, he added.
Regarding Pak-Germany relations, he expressed his belief that the mutual desire to deepen bilateral relations would prove to be mutually beneficial for both countries.
From : DAWN