Canada announces additional 25 million Canadian dollars for Internally Displaced Persons.

ISLAMABAD, August 10, 2009 (Frontier Star): Canadian government has announced additional 25 million dollars in aid for relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people of Swat and Malakand. The decision was conveyed by Ms. Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation Canada during a call on President Asif Ali Zardari here Monday at the Presidency. The Canadian delegation besides Ms. Beverley J. Oda comprised Mr. Randolph Mank, Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan and Ms. Francoise Ducros, Vice President, Afghanistan, Pakistan Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and other officials of the Canadian External Affairs Ministry. Those who attended the meeting included Ms Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr. Farrukh Qayyum, Secretary EAD and other senior officials. Talking to journalists Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President while thanking the Canadian government for its gesture expressed the hope that Canada will further enhance its presence in Pakistan particularly in the education sector and poverty alleviation. The President also lauded the 449 million dollars debt swap agreement with Canada for education. Farhatullah Babar said that this was the highest ever debt swap by the Canadian government. President Asif Ali Zardari while talking to the Canadian Minister informed her of Pakistans position on Pak-Afghan border issue. He thanked the Canadian government for its Border Management initiative. He urged the Canadian government to actively participate in the energy cluster of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) initiative. Ms. Beverley J. Oda assured support of her government in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the displaced people and said that Canadian government through CIDA is already working on various projects in Pakistan and wants to further enhance its economic cooperation. The visiting Canadian minister said that the purpose of her visit was to further deepen the relations between the two countries and also to extend additional support to the internally displaced people. The President appreciated support of the Canadian government for the relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people and said that Pakistan enjoys close bilateral ties with Canada and stressed for further enhancing the level of cooperation between the two countries in socio economic, trade and commercial fields. Farhatullah Babar said that later the President advised the government to devise a viable developmental project in Swat utilizing the additional 25 million dollars Canadian assistance that benefited maximum number of the people of the area.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)