The European Union (E.U.) has moved the flood-stricken Pakistan to the top of its agenda.
This is said to be to undo the damage to E.U.-Pakistan relations caused by British Prime Minister David Cameron's comments about Islamabad "exporting terror."
"The damage Cameron caused with those comments really hasn't helped us," an unidentified E.U. diplomat reportedly said, adding that it damages the other 27 [EU states] with what he said, but it was brought into focus the core issues and the need for a wider, better policy.
(British Foreign Secretary William) "Hague himself thought [Cameron's words] were a little naive and has really backed us in this discussion," he said.
His remarks came after the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sent a letter to the bloc's foreign ministers urging support to Pakistan amidst fears in European capitals that the floods in the South Asian country could further destabilize it.
"It is my feeling that our relationship with Pakistan has untapped potential, including in the area of development assistance, counter-terrorism and trade," she wrote.
She also proposed that the E.U. include Pakistan in its agenda for the next informal meeting of foreign ministers September 10-11, currently expected to discuss partnerships with states including China and India, ahead of an EU summit on the subject Sept 16.
"Pakistan is faced with so many issues, not just the floods, terror, development, (and) India. It's in the E.U.'s interest that we have a stable and prosperous Pakistan, but also the international community as a whole," she said in the letter.
Separately, E.U. trade ministers will meet to explore the trade options with Pakistan, in an approach that would "bring together military, humanitarian aid, development and trade under one umbrella".
The meeting will explore extending benefits of reduced tariffs to Pakistan by including that country in the EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme, or coming up with a set of trade incentives, focusing on specific types of products, including textiles.
Italy's proposal of offering trade incentives to Pakistan earlier this year met with a cold response, but in the wake of the recent floods, E.U. member-states are understood to be more sympathetic to it.
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