Former US President Bill Clinton on Monday promised to help Pakistan in securing much-needed foreign investments that would create opportunities for the country's economic growth and well-being of its people. The former US president, who heads the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), told President Asif Ali Zardari at a meeting with the Pakistani leader that his organisation would work with Pakistan's private and public sectors in furthering those objectives.
In this regard, Clinton said he would soon visit Pakistan, according to the spokesman of the president and former Senator, Farhatullah Babar. President Zardari, who arrived in New York on Sunday night, has a packed schedule of engagements during his stay in New York. He got down to work soon after his arrival.
The CGI works with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and global leaders to effectively confront the world's most pressing problems. Briefing newsmen on the Clinton-Zardari meeting, Babar said that former president Clinton expressed appreciation for the achievements made by Pakistan under the leadership of President Zardari and wished him continued success.
He said that President Zardari was especially keen on meeting Clinton since this year's action areas of CGI were of interest to Pakistan, including strengthening of infrastructure, building of human capital and women's emancipation. President Zardari urged Clinton to launch projects for small-and medium-sized dams to help Pakistan meet its pressing water and energy needs. Thirteen dam sites have been identified - five in Balochistan, four in Sindh and two each in Punjab and NWFP.
The president said the CGI should look at the prospects of private/public enterprise to undertake these crucial projects for Pakistan. In addition, President Zardari proposed that CGI should consider awarding scholarships to 10 brilliant Pakistani students for studies in US educational institutions.
In the context of building infrastructure, President Zardari told former US president that he welcomed the US for setting up an energy task force and looked forward to energy dialogue during the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Pakistan next month.
During the meeting, which lasted over 40 minutes, the spokesman said that the two leaders also discussed issue of militancy, Pak-US relations, Indo-Pak ties and the situation in the region. Clinton appreciated the progress made by Pakistan during the last one year, especially regarding fight against militancy and rehabilitation of displaced persons from the Swat region. In the context of Indo-Pak relations, President Zardari said he believed that dialogue and resumption of the composite dialogue were in the best interest of the region, the spokesman added.
Pakistan, he said was determined not to allow its territory to be used against any other country. Expressing concern over Drone attacks, he said Pakistan should be provided with the Drone technology so that it could itself combat the militants instead of its use by others.
In the context of US-Pak economic relations, the President said steps should be taken to provide market access to Pakistani products in the US as well as the EU countries. Present at the meeting were Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chairman Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly, Asfandyar Wali, Secretary General Salman Farooqi and Farhatullah Babar.
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