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U.S. Committed To Partnership With Pakistan


Pakistan is a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid, and one program by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Entrepreneurs Project is helping thousands of embroiderers market their garments and manage their businesses, March 2012.
Pakistan is a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid, and one program by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Entrepreneurs Project is helping thousands of embroiderers market their garments and manage their businesses, March 2012.

“We want to ... assist Pakistan in reaching its potential economically, socially, and politically."

The relationship between the United States and Pakistan is strong, and extends beyond a mutual interest in supporting a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

U.S. Committed To Partnership With Pakistan
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"The United States is committed to a cooperative and long-term partnership with Pakistan – far broader than any one issue, and centered on areas of mutual interest,” said U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson.

“This relationship is not transient, nor one of convenience. It cannot be. It is not dictated solely by the requirements of today, but rooted in the joint realization that the security and prosperity of our peoples is better served when we remain engaged, and cooperate."

The United States believes that cooperation with Pakistan will continue to be critical. “We want to . . . . assist Pakistan in reaching its potential economically, socially, and politically. And that is why we have invested in Pakistan and will continue to do so over the long term,” said Ambassador Olson.

An example of that enduring commitment is the extensive U.S. civilian assistance program in Pakistan. Since 2009, and after consultations with the government of Pakistan, the United States has disbursed more than $3 billion in energy, economic growth, stabilization, education, and health projects, and in emergency humanitarian assistance.

U.S. energy assistance includes funds to help Pakistanis modernize their power plants, increase transmission efficiency, and upgrade and expand Pakistan’s hydroelectric output.

To improve Pakistan’s economy, the United States is helping to increase the flow of investment dollars into Pakistan’s dynamic small-to-medium-sized business community through a project called the “Pakistan Private Investment Initiative.” The U.S. is also working with farmers to increase crop yields, conducting joint research on plant diseases that threaten wheat and cotton and creating new farmland through irrigation projects.

The U.S. is also funding construction of roads and bridge reparations in the border regions to facilitate trade and better link the area to the rest of the country.

In health and education, the U.S. is refurbishing hundreds of schools, training teachers and offering university scholarships to provide Pakistanis with the skills they need to compete in global markets. The U.S. is also building a new training institution for medical students, and equipping clinics in rural Pakistan.

“Although we do not support or favor any one political party in Pakistan, we continue to help support Pakistan’s democracy by strengthening institutions that work to ensure a free and fair process that ensures the voices of all Pakistanis are heard,” said Olson.

He continued: “The United States will remain engaged in what we hope will be an increasingly integrated – and prosperous – region."
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