ISLAMABAD: Australia will provide more development aid to Pakistan while Italy has promised a 20-million-euro soft-term loan for training in the marble sector in the NWFP and Balochistan.
The increase in Australian aid and military cooperation was announced by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith after the Friends of Democratic Pakistan summit in New York.
According to a statement issued by the Australian High Commission on Monday, the aid package included doubling of military training slots for Pakistan Army to 140 and establishing defence post-graduate scholarships, making Australia the second largest provider of overseas military training to Pakistan after the United States.
It also included expanding strategic dialogue, establishing an Australia-Pakistan development partnership focusing on health reforms, reconstruction of the Malakand region, promoting democratic governance and economic reforms and providing 100 agricultural scholarships.
Over the past couple of years Australia has increased defence and law-enforcement assistance, doubling development aid to $120 million for two years and contributing $23 million in humanitarian support since last year.
For more on this article, please click on the following link: Australia, Italy pledge more aid to Pakistan: Dawn
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