US Ambassador Cameron Munter on Wednesday said the United States was willing to assist in Pakistan’s hydropower projects to help the country overcome its energy crisis.
Addressing a gathering of students at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), he said Pakistan was passing through a hard time but it could overcome its crises by turning them into opportunities.
He stressed the need to launch a campaign to educate people on precautionary measures for disasters occurring due to climatic changes. He said depleting water resources and increasing floods were a matter of concern. He said the US would provide Pakistan an equal opportunity to export its goods to US markets on competitive grounds. He expressed his dismay over recent cuts in Pakistan’s educational budget, saying the US was encouraging the Pakistani government to allocate more resources for education. He said Pakistan had a unique demographic dividend of having more than 70 million youth, which are a beacon of hope for the development of the country.
He said the USAID had a long history of promoting institutions and people-to-people contacts by investing in education. He said his country offered various scholarships in fine arts, international relations, and social sciences.
The ambassador was accompanied by his wife Dr Marilyn Wyatt and US Consul General Nina Fiteand.
