Resolving issues: Germany, EU ready to mediate between Pakistan, India says Nunn

German Ambassador discusses security, trade.

ISLAMABAD: A European ambassador has asked Pakistan and India to address their multi-faceted problems by bolstering bilateral trade. That could lay a foundation to tackle difficult issues, like Kashmir, through a dialogue.      

“My first comment would be why not start with that. Why not start with people-to-people and more political exchanges while issues like Kashmir could be taken up at the end of the process”, German Ambassador Dr Cyrill Nunn told APP in an exclusive interview here on Sunday.



There were many things which Pakistan and India have to discuss, “and Kashmir is one of them”. It would be important for well-being of both the countries to establish economic and trade relations that were workable.

Both countries can do a lot of things in improving their trade relations which would create more jobs. They can open up their border for traffic, sports, students exchange and facilitate travel across Wagah.

This could be a way forward for progress for the two people.

Billing prime minister’s recent visit to India as an “excellent first step,” Nunn said, “The good news was that a meeting took place” between Nawaz Sharif and his new Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and everybody was happy to see them together in New Delhi.

During their one-on-one meeting Sharif and Modi agreed on a meeting of
their foreign secretaries for discussing outstanding issues between the two neighbours.

Referring to the military might of both the countries, he said “both were in a position to destroy each other. War makes no sense so there are all reasons to engage with each other.”

The ambassador said the EU would support good and peaceful relations between two nuclear-capable neighbours in South Asia.

Responding to a question whether the EU would support resolution of Kashmir dispute through dialogue, he said generally speaking both Germany and EU would “always support anything that brings both countries nearer to each other, which is acceptable to both countries.”

He said Sharif and Modi did have ideas to promote commerce in their countries though the envoy was not sure how these would develop.

He, however, said that the EU would support good trade ties between the two neighbours.

One should not forget that EU was a big trading partner of both Islamabad and New Delhi hence it was natural for it to back such efforts.

European companies had been always finding it difficult to do business separately in Pakistan and Indian markets because these two markets were not integrated.

These companies can have their head offices here and operate in India, he added.

The ambassador said it was the main task of the Pakistan government on how it would like to address the issue of terrorism and militancy. He said Germany was following with keen interest its policy. He said it was necessary to tackle these issues for ensuring security, peace and more stability which would convince the foreign investors to make investment in Pakistan.

Security

He said Germany was extending substantial cooperation to Pakistan in addressing issue of terrorism and its support would continue. Germany, he said, acknowledged efforts by Pakistan to curb terrorism because it was a tough challenge to be addressed.

If terrorism is addressed and security situation improves, Pakistan can become the next destination of businessmen for their investment because it is a big market.

Growing investment

He said all the German companies like the Siemens and Metro doing business in Pakistan, were satisfied because “they have growing business.”    He said that 95 per cent of the goods sold at Metro stores, the second biggest retailer in the world, were made in Pakistan but stressed that quality of the products was ensured.

He said Siemens has been doing business in Karachi since 1870. The problem is how to bring in new German companies into Pakistan. He lauded efforts of the government to increase country’s power capacity and the economy.

“I am pretty sure that in the last 12 months, the general view was that there was an improvement of the situation but when it comes to power and security, most of the investors will say, now-a-days, we are not yet where we want to be. We need to have more security, more guarantees on delivering of power to our business at a price which is fixed and which is affordable without power cuts,” Ambassador Nunn said.

He was appreciative of the many steps being taken by Pakistan for improving law and order situation and said now efforts were on to bring a German trade delegation to Pakistan led by a politician to see for itself the opportunities of investment and cooperation in areas like power generation, automobiles, alternative energy solutions, food processing sectors, health, good governance etc.

Fielding a question on how €93.5 million announced by the German foreign minister during his visit here in June last year were being spent, he said the major part of the money was being utilised on vocational training of the educated youth which was being jointly done by Germany, the Netherlands and the EU.

“We are [helping] vocational training which means
that boys and girls are trained in order to find their place in their jobs in an already existing framework like factory, like bus company or like even in the agriculture sector. You train people not just theoretically, you
train them practically for a job which already exists,” said the ambassador. Their number is hundred thousand of
young people and the training was being imparted in
many parts of the country, he added.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2014.