Clinton announces major aid projects for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Clinton on Monday announced a raft of major aid projects focused on water and energy for Pakistan.

“We will complete two hydroelectric dam projects…. We’re also helping Pakistan develop alternative energy sources, like wind and solar power…,” said Clinton ahead of talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad.

The projects are part of a five-year 7.5-billion-dollar funding approved by the US Congress last year and include water and health care projects, as well as help for the agriculture and private sectors.

The aid is a key part of the effort by the US administration to engage more fully with Pakistan, which has long seen Washington as interested only in securing its military cooperation in the fight against terror networks.