ISLAMABAD: German Federal Minister of Cooperation, H.E. Svenja Schulze, visits Pakistan – meets Hon. PM Sharif and Hon. Ministers for Economic Affairs and Commerce.
“Germany is Pakistan’s third most important economic cooperation partner, with the last pledge amounting to 163.3 million euros (more than 50 crore PKR),” a press release issued by the German Embassy stated.
The German Minister is currently visiting Pakistan upon the invitation of her counterpart, Minister Ahad Khan Cheema. Yesterday (Wednesday, 21 August), she met with the Minister of Economic Affairs as well as with Minister of Commerce, Hon. Jam Kamal Khan.
After their bilateral meeting, Minister Schulze and Minister Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Responsible Business Helpdesk (RBH) between the German development agency GIZ and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
In the evening, she met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They discussed matters of bilateral relations and economic cooperation. The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister.
Additionally, she met with Pakistani employers and trade union representatives. She also visited the Kohinoor Textile Mills Ltd. factory in Rawalpindi and took a particular interest in supporting the upscaling of working conditions, productivity, and competitiveness.
Germany is Pakistan’s third most important economic cooperation partner. Since the beginning of German-Pakistani economic cooperation in 1961, Germany has contributed around 3.7 billion euros (more than 113,000 crore PKR) to Pakistan’s development. In 2023 alone, Germany pledged 163.3 million euros (more than 50 crore PKR) for economic cooperation with Pakistan. German-Pakistani cooperation covers a wide range of issues, including developing professional training capacities, supporting small and medium enterprises, promoting renewable energies, and adapting to the consequences of climate change.
Today (Thursday, 22 August), H.E. the Federal Minister continues her visit to Pakistan in Lahore, where she meets H.E. the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mariam Nawaz Sharif, and visits two more factories.
On Friday, 23 August, H.E. the Federal Minister and her delegation fly back to Germany.
