Washington: The United States has disbursed USD 2.8 billion in civilian assistance to Pakistan since the passage of the Kerry-Lugar Berman Bill in 2009, the State Department said on Wednesday.
"While figures for this fiscal are not yet available, since the passage of the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation in October 2009, the US government has disbursed USD 2.8 billion in civilian assistance, including approximately USD 1 billion in emergency humanitarian assistance," the State Department said in a statement.
The non-humanitarian civilian assistance funds are spent in five priority sectors: energy, economic growth, stabilization of vulnerable areas, education, and health.
In 2011, the US supported construction of 210 kilometers of road in FATA and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, funded the world`s largest Fulbright exchange program, and sponsored initiatives promoting private sector growth and civil society development in Pakistan.
"The US remains committed to a strong, mutually respectful relationship with Pakistan. We consider bilateral US civilian assistance to be an important component of that relationship and believe it can help Pakistan become a more prosperous, stable, and democratic state, which serves the national interests of both the United States and Pakistan," the statement said.
"Civilian assistance to Pakistan has been ongoing throughout the closure of the NATO supply lines and has continued after their opening," the statement said.
PTI
