EU attempts to repair relations with Pakistan

The EU is discussing a long term aid plan to deal with EU-Pakistan relations for the long term.

LONDON: The European Union's foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, has moved Pakistan to the top of the EU agenda after the floods, aiming to undo damage to EU-Pakistan relations by David Cameron when the prime minister accused Islamabad of exporting terrorism, says a report in 'The Guardian.'

"The damage Cameron did with those comments really hasn't helped us," the paper cited an EU diplomat after Ashton, the EU high representative, sent a letter to foreign ministers urging a step-change in support for Pakistan as some in European capitals fear the floods could further destabilise the country.

"It damages the other 26 EU states what he said, but it's brought into focus the core issues and the need for a wider, better strategy," the official said.

"Hague himself thought Cameron's words were a little naive and has really backed us in this discussion."

In what is seen by some to be the first foreign policy crisis response of EU's brand new diplomatic corps, the External Action Service, Ashton wants a multi-faceted approach going beyond immediate flood relief. She believes the EU should be constructing a plan for the next 10 years, "a coherent, sustainable long-term strategy to deal with EU-Pakistan relations for the long term".

"Pakistan is faced with so many issues, not just the floods, terror, development, India. It's in the EU's interest that we have a stable and prosperous Pakistan, but also the international community as a whole."

The approach would "bring together military, humanitarian aid, development and trade under one umbrella".

Two of the key options would be to extend reduced tariffs to Pakistan by including it in the EU's generalised system of preferences (GSP) scheme, or to construct a tailor-made set of trade preferences for the country, focusing on specific types of products such as textiles.

Italy had earlier this year backed offering trade incentives to the country, but was met with a lack of interest. In the wake of the floods, however, EU member states are understood now to be more sympathetic to the options.

Earlier this week, the EU's chief diplomat in the country, Tomas Niklasson, called for an immediate fresh new security analysis to be undertaken by the bloc as a result of the disaster.

"We will have to ask questions about what impact it will have on government capacity, how it will affect perceptions of government response, the economy, foreign investors, the floods will affect a lot of things in the country and could have implications on the security situation," he told the EU Observer.