Islamabad, 22 August 2024 – German Federal Minister of Cooperation, H.E. Svenja Schulze visits Pakistan – Meets Hon. PM Sharif, Hon. Ministers for Economic Affairs and Commerce
Germany is Pakistan’s third most important economic cooperation partner, last pledge amounting to 163,3 million euros (more than 50 crore PKR)
The German Minister is currently visiting Pakistan upon the invitation of her counterpart, Minister Ahad Khan Cheema. Yesterday (Wednesday 21 August), she met with the Minister of Economic Affairs as well as with Minister of Commerce, Hon. Jam Kamal Khan.
After their bilateral meeting, Minister Schulze and Minister Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Responsible Business Helpdesk (RBH) between the German development agency GIZ and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
In the evening, she met with the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They discussed matters of bilateral relations and economic cooperation. The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister.
In addition, she met with Pakistani employers and trade union representatives. She also visited the factory of Kohinoor Textile Mills Ltd. in Rawalpindi and took a particular interest in the support for upscaling working conditions, productivity and competitiveness.
Germany is Pakistan’s third-most important economic cooperation partner. Since the beginning of German-Pakistani economic cooperation in 1961, Germany has contributed around 3.7 billion euros (more than 113.000 crore PKR) to Pakistan’s development.
In 2023 alone, Germany pledged 163,3 million euros (more than 50 crore PKR) for economic cooperation with Pakistan. German-Pakistani cooperation covers a wide field of issues such as developing professional training capacities, supporting small and medium enterprises, promoting renewable energies and adapting to the consequences of climate change.
Today (Thursday 22 August), H.E. the Federal Minister continues her visit to Pakistan in Lahore where she meets H.E. the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mariam Nawaz Sharif, and visits two more factories.
On Friday 23 August H.E. the Federal Minister and her delegation fly back to Germany.
GoP sources shared :
The Prime Minister welcomed Minister Schulze to Pakistan and appreciated Germany’s longstanding support for Pakistan’s socioeconomic development. He said that Pakistan and Germany had a history of mutually beneficial commercial and economic ties and lauded Germany’s role in Pakistan’s industrial development. In this context, the Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to revive the Pakistan-Germany partnership back to its glorious past.
The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to sustainable development, climate change mitigation and economic growth while sharing his government’s priorities including structural reforms for the economic revival of the country.
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Minister Schulze conveyed greetings of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the Prime Minister and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and development cooperation. She also shared that Germany was keen to increase its support for Pakistan’s renewable energy sector and climate resilience initiatives.
German Federal Minister of Cooperation, H.E. Svenja Schulze concludes her visits to Pakistan in Lahore
The two sides discussed ways to further enhance bilateral economic cooperation, including increased trade, investment, IT and technology transfer as well as export of skilled labor. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the situation in Gaza and the Ukraine conflict.
Minister Schulze also extended an invitation to the Prime Minister on behalf of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to attend the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in October.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides, including the Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister, Minister for Planning, Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister for Commerce and Minister of State for IT.
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Ministry of Commerce
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met with Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation & Development, Svenja Schulze, in Islamabad on Wednesday to bolster economic and trade relations between the two nations.
The meeting focused on advancing economic collaboration, with a particular emphasis on sustainable business practices and labor standards.
Minister Jam Kamal lauded Germany’s leadership in promoting sustainability through initiatives like the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.
He highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to improve labor standards and environmental sustainability in its textile industry, and he sought German support for capacity-building and technical assistance to help Pakistani SMEs comply with these new regulations.
Minister Schulze responded by highlighting the long-standing historical relationship between Germany and Pakistan, which has spanned many decades.
She noted that many German companies are operating successfully in Pakistan, particularly in the textile sector, and praised the robust business ties between the two countries.
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Minister Schulze also emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment across all sectors, a priority she shared with Minister Jam Kamal.
While acknowledging cultural and regional challenges, Jam Kamal reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to gradually enhancing women’s roles, particularly through initiatives like the Female Exclusive Training Institute (FETI) in Faisalabad. He urged Germany to continue its support for these efforts and other initiatives which could benefit.
The ministers also discussed the potential for increased collaboration between their respective business communities.
The discussion highlighted the National Compliance Center (NCC), an initiative led by the Ministry of Commerce to promote labor compliance and social responsibility in Pakistan. The center, the first of its kind in the country, aims to improve labor, social, and environmental standards, making Pakistani businesses more competitive and sustainable.
The NCC will address industry concerns through a cluster approach, focusing on areas such as human rights, climate change, labor rights, traceability, and quality assurance.Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in trade and investment.
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