Islamabad, 20 October 2021 (TDI): State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued a commemorative coin of Rs.70 to mark 70 years of Pak-German diplomatic relations. The diameter of the coin is 30.00mm and it weighs 13 grams. Pakistan’s national monument “Minar-e-Pakistan” is chiseled on one side of the coin. While, on the other side, there is an image of an 18th-century monument in German “Brandenburg Gate”. The coin is available on exchange counters of SBP Banking Services Corporation.
Germany’s ambassador to Pakistan, Bernard Schlagheck, thanked the government of Pakistan for issuing the coin.
Celebrations for 70 years of Pak-German relations
Earlier, Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, presented a shield from the embassy and people of Pakistan to German ambassador in Pakistan, Bernard Schlagheck.
Ambassador Faisal (L) presenting shield to Ambassador Bernard Schlagheck (R) to commemorate 7 decades of Pak-German diplomatic relations.
Furthermore, a reception, titled ‘Pak-German Dosti’, was organized at Foreign Office Pakistan to celebrate culture, cuisine, and bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Germany.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, remarked Pakistan had the honor to host the Foreign Minister of Germany and Chief of Army Staff Germany this year. Moreover, he announced the establishment of Pakistan’s new Consulate General in Munich.
Ambassador Faisal also proclaimed the setting up of the Iqbal-Goethe Art Center in Germany. The purpose of it is to bring forward cultural linkages between the two countries. He said the center will look at Pakistani and German art and crafts, paintings, sculptures, and digital art. It will also provide an opportunity to understand the similarity in the philosophy of Iqbal and Goethe.
Pak-German Relations: An Overview
Pakistan and Germany share cordial diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and trust. The two countries established official diplomatic relations on October 5, 1951. Pakistan has an embassy in Berlin and a Consulate General in Frankfurt. Likewise, Germany maintains an embassy in Islamabad and a Consulate General in Karachi.
Pakistan paid its first official visit to West Germany in 1961 under the leadership of President Ayub Khan. He met German President, Heinrich Lubke, and Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer. The visit fostered diplomatic ties between the two countries. Since then, both countries have exchanged many official visits to strengthen bilateral relations.
Pakistan and Germany cooperate in diverse sectors including trade, investment, energy, security, education, and culture. Both countries signed Strategic Dialogue Partnership in 2012; which is led by foreign ministers of Germany and Pakistan.
In terms of economic cooperation, Germany is Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the European Union (EU). Before COVID-19 pandemic, trade between the two countries reached 3 million euros. Pakistan’s exports to Germany include textiles, leather goods, medical instruments, and sports goods. Similarly, Germany’s exports to Pakistan comprises of machinery, chemicals, motor vehicles, chemical, electrical, and iron goods.
Furthermore, development cooperation between Pakistan and Germany began in 1961. The two countries cooperate in fields of sustainable economic development, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate change.
Additionally, Pakistan and Germany have strong academic and cultural linkages. More than 500 Pakistani students are studying in Germany under DAAD and other scholarships. Likewise, Goethe Institue Karachi along with Goethe-Zentrum in Lahore offers cultural programs and language courses. Moreover, Germany’s leading foundations, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, have their representation in Pakistan.
