Deputy Prime Minister and US Vice President joint statement on Pakistan
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and US Vice President Joe Biden issued a joint statement on Pakistan following their meeting in Washington.
Deputy Prime Minister and US Vice President:
The UK and US are committed to ensuring the most effective possible international response to Pakistan’s ongoing flood disaster. We recognize the enormous scale of the devastation and Pakistan’s continuing humanitarian and recovery needs.
We welcome the international contributions that have been made so far, including £134 million (approximately $209 million) from the UK and $345 million (approximately £222 million) from the US, and we recognize also the generosity of individual citizens in these and other countries. However, there is more to be done. To meet the targets of the UN’s humanitarian appeal and the upcoming World Bank Damage and Needs Assessment, we encourage the international community to respond fully, rapidly and with effective coordination and leadership. We encourage partners to meet in full pledges made at the 2009 Tokyo Donors meeting in addition to new pledges that are related to the floods.
The US and the UK affirm their commitment to sustained long-term post-flood reconstruction in Pakistan, beyond the immediate humanitarian needs. We encourage other members of the international community to remain engaged as well. Stability in Pakistan, underpinned by economic and democratic development, is vital for the stability of the region and for security in the wider world.
On behalf of our two countries we pledge our unshakeable support for the people of Pakistan in the wake of this natural disaster. But our support does not end here. We reaffirm our commitment to enhancing our respective strategic partnerships with Pakistan, on the basis of shared interests and mutual respect.
We recognize also the role that the international community has in helping Pakistan to address a range of challenges across development, security, and governance. We look to the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial meeting in October to mobilize further political support on these agendas.
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