ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Germany on Tuesday signed four financial and technical agreements for vaccination and polio eradication from the country.
Economic Affairs Division Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan and Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan Martin Kobler signed the agreements for the Financial Support 2015 and Technical Agreement 2016, amounting to 76.4 million Euros and 15.3 million Euros, respectively.
Besides rehabilitation of displaced persons, promotion of renewable energy and welfare of the workers of Pakistan Textile Industry, the agreements relate to enhancement of cooperation for Donors Trust Fund, Employment Support, Social Health, and basic infrastructure projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Pakistan and Germany also inked agreements for the support of 10 million Euros for vaccination and 10 million Euros for the eradication of polio. The agreements would help improve the performance of Pakistan National Polio Emergency Plan, vaccination and other such sectors.
The Economic Affairs secretary thanked the government of Germany for supporting Pakistan in its efforts for eradication of polio. He assured that the agreements would be implemented as soon as possible.
Speaking on the occasion, the German ambassador said that these agreements were aimed at making Pakistan’s vaccination system more effective. The number of polio cases in Pakistan had been reduced significantly, which was a positive sign, he added. He said around 21.6 million children would benefit from these agreements, and added that Germany would continue support for making Pakistan polio-free.
