Australia to boost support to Pakistan

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Australia to boost support to Pakistan
+ - 16:17, September 25, 2009

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Friday Australia would boost support to Pakistan in an effort to promote stability and counter extremism.

Rudd made the announcement following the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Summit in New York, according to a report by Australian Associated Press.

Rudd said Pakistan was one of the world's most strategically important countries and the Summit was a clear demonstration of the commitment of the international community to Pakistan.

He said the increased assistance would be used to strengthen Pakistan's security and stability by doubling military training to the Pakistan Army to 140 places. That will make Australia the largest provider of military training to Pakistan after the United States.

"The Australian government has significantly increased its engagement with Pakistan over the past 20 months, including through increased defense and law enforcement cooperation," Rudd said in a statement.

He said Australia had contributed 23 million Australian dollars (20 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian assistance since August 2008 and would double development assistance to 120 million Australian dollars (104 million U.S. dollars) over the next two years.

Australia will also establish defense postgraduate scholarships for Pakistani officers and expand the strategic dialogue.

Rudd said an Australia-Pakistan Development Partnership would be formed to focus on health reform, reconstruction of the contested Malakand region, democratic governance and economic reform, as well as providing 100 agricultural scholarships.

Source: Xinhua