The European Union will encourage other countries to follow its lead and offer trade breaks to Pakistan to help boost the country’s recovery from the the past months’ massive flooding, according to an EU official.
The European Commission recently adopted a proposal to temporarily lift import duties on 75 Pakistani products. The commission will present the proposal to EU member states and the European Parliament for their approval over the next few days.
>> European Commission Offers Trade Breaks to Pakistan
EU officials are expected to urge other countries to adopt similar trade measures at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan ministerial meeting to be held Oct. 15 in Brussels.
The meeting, which will be co-hosted by European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, will assess the long-term financial assistance needed by Pakistan to recover in the aftermath of the recent floods.
The EU is also expected to call on Pakistan to implement administrative reforms, particularly in the tax sector.
“The aim is to send a strong signal of solidarity to Pakistan,” an EU official said, as quoted by Reuters. “And it’s an opportunity for Pakistan to present a plan for reconstruction, including economic and institutional reforms.”
Established in 2008, the Friends of Democratic Pakistan is a forum comprising donor countries and multilateral institutions committed to helping Pakistan pursue socio-economic development.
