The European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Monday called for supporting Pakistan’s democratic government in the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s killing and stressed relying on its cooperation to counter terrorism.
“More than ever we need to underpin the democratic elected government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani,” the spokesperson of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton told the reporters in Brussels, according to a statement issued by the EU.
“Pakistan, more than ever, needs support for its efforts to combat terrorism and bolster democracy following the killing of bin Laden,” the statement said, forwarded by the prime minister’s Secretariat. “Death of the terrorist mastermind underlines the need for a broad and reinforced engagement of Pakistan generally, but also on security-related issues such as counter-terrorism and human rights,” it said.
The EU Council’s President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, in a joint statement said, “The stability of Pakistan is in everyone’s interest and target market access to the EU for Pakistan.”