EU envoys vow support to Pakistan during and beyond Covid-19 crisis

Envoy presents details of €142m Covid-19 package to PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the European Union delegation to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday and reiterated the EU’s commitment to support Pakistan during and beyond the Covid-19 crisis.

According to the spokesperson for the delegation, Prime Minister Imran and Ambassador Kaminara discussed how Pakistan and the EU could further benefit from a stronger political partnership in the light of the political, economic and security developments.

https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1258393454461190144?s=20

During the meeting, Kaminara presented details of €142 million Covid-19 package that the EU had put together to support Pakistan. The package includes short- and medium-term response to the emerging health crisis in Pakistan.

It also seeks to strengthen the preparedness of Pakistani people for the social and economic impact of the pandemic, with a specific focus on the most vulnerable. The package is in addition to EU members co-funding of lending and operational capacity of multilateral institutions, currently assisting Pakistan.

“A long-standing friend and partner of Pakistan, the European Union stands side by side with Pakistan as the country faces the extraordinary challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Ambassador Kaminara was quoted as saying.

“The EU is convinced that the global pandemic requires global solidarity and cooperation. I very much appreciate the constructive discussion with Prime Minister Imran Khan and I am looking forward to continued collaboration during and beyond the current crisis,” she added.

During the meeting, the prime minister briefed the ambassador about the government’s vision and action to fight Covid-19. Kaminara lauded the governments’ efforts, including the scale-up of the Ehsaas programme for the most vulnerable and poor.

Milko van Gool, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan said: “We are working closely with the Pakistani government and our partners to make sure our assistance intervenes where it is most needed and where it can make the biggest difference to help the Pakistani people in this crisis.”