[image: Pakistan gets $132 million debt relief from US amid flood crisis]
ISLAMABAD – The US has agreed to suspend loans worth $132 million under theG-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) framework for Pakistan asthe South Asian country in dire need of financial assistance to pace uprelief efforts after massive deluges.
US Ambassador Donald Blome has signed the second bilateral agreement inthis regard, said US Embassy on Twitter.
The agreement will provide $132 million in US debt relief to Pakistan, theembassy said.
“Our priority is to redirect critical resources in Pakistan,” it said whilereferring to the historic floods that have affected over 33 million peoplein the South Asian country and claimed over 1,500 lives since mid-June.
The development comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended aceremony at the embassy to mark the completion of the 75th anniversary ofdiplomatic ties between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, the US ambassador vowed to support Pakistan indiverse fields, especially for reconstruction and rehabilitation offlood-hit areas of the country.
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He said that people of the United States continue to stand with Pakistan.He said the strength of Pak-US friendship is demonstrated by more than 66million dollars in U.S. support for flood response.
Ambassador Blome said, over past 75 years, the United States and Pakistanbuilt a relationship based on mutual respect, shared goals and values.
Blome further said that over the decades, more than 32 billion dollars inUS support benefited Pakistan and improved the lives of the people.
He said the rapidly changing world provides a pivotal opportunity toreframe relations between the two countries.
