In her opening remarks to the plenary session of the third US-Pak Strategic Dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced another $29 million aid to Pakistan in International Military Education and Training (IMET), thus increasing the total aid package to $ 2.29 billion.
“The commitment underscores the importance the US places on its long-term relationship with Pakistan. Providing this assistance helps Pakistan address our mutual security challenges,” an official statement said.
Clinton said a request will be made to Congress for the aid to be made available for the period from 2012 to 2016. This would complement the five-year $ 7.5 billion in civilian aid to Pakistan under the Kerry-Lugar Bill, she said.
The assistance would be used to procure US military equipment, services and training. This funding is aimed to enhance Pakistan’s military modernisation efforts, improve inter-operability with US forces.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks