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| 19 February 2004 | Thursday | 27 Zilhaj 1424 |
EU praises handling of N-issue
ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: Pakistan on Wednesday received approval and financial encouragement from the European Union Ministerial Troika over the country's recent steps to check nuclear proliferation and for the success of the Pakistan-India composite dialogue to resolve bilateral disputes.
After signing a Pakistan-EU agreement for euro 6.5 million trade related technical assistance programme, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri addressed a press conference flanked by his counterparts from the Netherlands and Ireland, Dr Bernard Rudolf Bot and Brian Cowen, respectively, EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten and Pakistan's Finance and Commerce ministers Shaukat Aziz and Humayun Akhtar.
The foreign minister said the European Union and Pakistan were active partners in a coalition against terrorism, reconstruction of Afghanistan and maintenance of peace and security. Political consultations with the EU were an important element of Pakistan's diplomatic exchanges, he said.
Officials said the two sides discussed recent domestic political developments, improvement of relations with India, other regional issues including Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and international security issues and recent revelations about nuclear proliferation activities.
"We held comprehensive discussions on EU-Pakistan relations in various fields, recent developments in Indo-Pakistan relations, Afghanistan and nuclear non-proliferation," Mr Kasuri said.
He said the EU ministers expressed support for the resumption of a composite dialogue between Pakistan and India to address all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The two sides reiterated a common commitment to a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, the Bonn process and support to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"The EU expressed continuing appreciation of our role in the war on terrorism," he said, adding that the talks revealed identical views on a number of issues.
The talks were held in the backdrop of increasing high-level contacts between the EU and Pakistan, an earlier visit by the troika as well as members of the European Parliament, and Mr Kasuri's visit to Brussels last November.
Talking about trade relations between the two sides, Mr Kasuri said EU was Pakistan's main trading and economic partner and a source of substantial development assistance and direct foreign investment.
"We also brought to their attention our concerns regarding trade-related problems. The EU Troika agreed to revisit some of these issues," Mr Kasuri said. Answering a question if Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan's Dutch wife was restricted from leaving for the Netherlands, Foreign Minister Bernard Rudolf Bot said she was free to travel. "As far as I know there are no restrictions."
In response to a question about peace in the Subcontinent, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen welcomed the positive developments, personal engagement of President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the commitment made by the two sides for a comprehensive dialogue. He said the EU was willing to assist in any way possible.
Welcoming the joint India-Pakistan statement after Wednesday's talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, the EU Troika hoped that the two countries would continue to take steps to make the peace process sustainable and irreversible.
Replying a question about elections in Afghanistan, Mr Patten said the EU remained committed to the development of Afghanistan and would like to see presidential elections there before the summer according to the schedule set-out in the Bonn agreement.
"Europe is worried that elections might be in the doldrums. We totally understand why the president and his colleagues want their authority legitimised."
A press release issued by the EU said the euro 6.5 million assistance was of particular relevance to Pakistan as the quota system under the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing would cease to exist on Jan 1, 2005.
"At present there is limited awareness among stake-holders of the implications of the WTO agreements and of the opportunities and challenges of the world trading system.
The purpose of the programme is, therefore, to enhance awareness among government officials, the business sector and civil society about the implications of numerous WTO agreements on the economy of the country," the release said.
The programme is to be implemented in cooperation with the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO and UN Industrial Development Organization which would contribute approximately euro 200,000 each to the initiative.
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