BERLIN: Believing that the military-led National Action Plan (NAP) is improving security situation in Pakistan”s strategically important urban centers like Karachi, Germany is keen to jump on the bandwagon as Pakistan and China are rolling up sleeves to materialise $46 billion infrastructure development projects to pave way for the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Berlin, Europe”s largest economy having $ 2.5 billion bilateral trade with Pakistan, is engaged in, what German Consul General Dr Tilo Klinner told, preliminary talks with Chinese and Pakistani authorities to explore the possibilities of its co-operation in these mega development ventures.
Civil engineering, finance, technical solutions and local know-how in energy and infrastructure development projects were some of the key areas Dr Klinner said his country could facilitate in. “Especially, we can offer infrastructure technology solutions like harbour development at Gwadar,” the diplomat said on the sideline of a dinner hosted in his honour by Diplomatic Forum International (DFI) here Thursday.
Asked if Germany was likely to join Pakistan and China in the economic corridor venture, the German consul general in Karachi replied in affirmative saying: “If (we are) asked to”. At the same time, in a veiled reference to Pakistan”s increasing focus on China-centric trade and investment policies, he advised Islamabad not to be “very much” bilateral in its policy approach while choosing the country’s future trade and investment partners.
Bilateral we are thinking very much, Dr Klinner told the audience that included Justice Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, former ambassador Shahid Amin, DFI President Muhammad Farooq Afzal and businessman Majyd Aziz. Referring to German companies” expertise in big infrastructure projects, the consul general urged the local policymakers to “think out of box”.
