‘Pak-German economic relations have enormous potential’

An interview with the German Ambassador to Pakistan Mr Alfred Grannas

LAHORE: Born in 1960, incumbent German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas joined the German Foreign Office in 1990. During the early 1980s, Mr. Grannas served in the German Army and later studied law and history.

Being a law graduate, the Ambassador served as a judge, district attorney, and district administrator at the State of Bavaria from 1986 to 1989 before joining the Foreign Service.

For over three decades, Mr. Grannas has served in a variety of capacities and locations, representing the German Foreign Office. He has held the positions of Chief of Cabinet, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Kosovo, Counsellor for Security Council Affairs, Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador to Norway, Head of the Humanitarian Assistance Task Force, German Foreign Office, Deputy Head of Delegation, EU-Delegation in Afghanistan, and now he has been serving as German Ambassador to Pakistan.

In addition, Mr. Grannas is fluent in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Norwegian.

Bol News approached the honourable ambassador with a request for an interview, which he graciously accepted. Following are excerpts of the discussion with him.

How would you characterise the significance of bilateral relations between Germany and Pakistan?

Ambassador: Since 1951, Germany and Pakistan have had excellent relations. We celebrated 70 years of bilateral relations last year with a series of events in both countries. We see a lot of potential here and are looking forward to further strengthening this bond and taking it to the next level.

Pakistan has recently experienced unprecedented flooding. How does the German government assist Pakistan in its hour of need?

Ambassador: Of course, we began providing substantial financial assistance to families affected by the deadly floods very early on. At the moment, our financial assistance totals more than 80 million euros, making Germany one of the major donors to Pakistan’s immediate flood relief.

Q Is there any project underway to assist and support Pakistan in combating climate change?

Ambassador: Germany takes climate issues very seriously, which is why we are assisting Pakistan in combating the climate crisis. Our previous and current collaboration includes 16 projects totaling 350 million euros in funding. There are also ten technical cooperation projects with a total funding of 30 million euros. The primary goal is to improve climate resilience, adaptation to climate change, and disaster risk management.

Q What are your thoughts on the recently concluded COP27 in Egypt?

Ambassador: One of the outcomes of COP27 was the establishment of a fund to help in the rebuilding of physical and social infrastructure in countries such as Pakistan that have been devastated by extreme weather, and I am particularly pleased that Germany played a key role in this. We are satisfied that we were able to reach an agreement on establishing a fund; however, it is no secret that we had hoped for a more ambitious outcome in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the sake of our planet and future generations. The Pakistani delegation did an excellent job of propagating the idea of establishing the fund.

This fund should now benefit the majority of affected countries. For us, the conference’s outcome is ambiguous and insufficient, as greenhouse gas reduction should have been emphasised more strongly given the planet’s gradually rising temperature.

Q How many projects is the German government currently financing in Pakistan? Please provide details about each of the projects, as well as the amount of financial assistance.

Ambassador: Germany is involved in a plethora of projects in Pakistan. Altogether, the development cooperation amounts to 188.25 million euros. These projects focus on good governance and social protection, conflict prevention, migration and refugee management, vocational educational training (TVET), climate change mitigation and adaptation, private sector development, and renewable energy and energy efficiency, all of which are critical. Our primary area of cooperation has been power transmission.

How has migration become a major source of concern for Germany since it opened its borders during the Syrian crisis?

Ambassador: It is one thing to help those in need, but illegal migration has been a source of concern for all countries, including Germany, in their efforts to maintain peace and stability for their citizens.

Everyone wants to see their country stabilised and its people protected from harm. During the Syrian crisis of 2015–16, the extraordinary circumstances led us to open our borders on humanitarian grounds in order to assist and support the needy people.

Q What is the volume of trade between the two countries [import and export] and where can Pakistan increase its exports to Germany?

Ambassador: The Germany-Pakistan trade volume was recently around USD 3.5 billion per year. Thus, Germany is Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the European Union (EU). We can proudly state that trade between our two countries was thriving even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world that has a trade surplus with Germany. This means that Pakistan exports more goods to Germany than Germany exports to Pakistan every year. While Pakistan primarily exports textiles and leather goods, as well as surgical instruments and sports equipment, Germany primarily exports electronic goods, machinery, chemicals, and, of course, automobiles.

I see great potential for our countries’ economic relations, particularly in terms of green hydrogen.

We are currently in the process of setting up sensible and professional structures to support trade even better than before. However, what we expect and need from Pakistan is political stability, security, and rule of law for investments.

Q What are the key areas in Pakistan that the German government wishes to support and fund, and why?

Ambassador: Germany is very keen on seeing democratic and sustainable development in Pakistan and has a great interest in the country playing a constructive role in the region. Together with our partners and political foundations, we support projects such as sustainable economic development, strengthening democratic institutions, promoting human rights and empowering women, combating climate change, deradicalization, regional cooperation, and media work.

Q Tell us about the KafirKot project [in D.I. Khan] and other projects supported and funded by the German government to preserve Pakistan’s historically and culturally significant assets.

Ambassador: Preserving historical sites is an important part of preserving cultures and traditions. I am very pleased that the Gerda Henkel Foundation, in collaboration with the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, has taken on the task of researching and preserving the ancient Hindu sites of Kafir Kot near D.I. Khan.

One of my colleagues was recently able to see the remains of the huge Hindu fort for himself and was more than impressed. The photos he took there and showed me are evidence of an impressive cultural site that is worth preserving and keeping for future generations.

In addition, Germany has been supporting the Aga Khan Foundation in the conservation of Lahore’s Sheesh Mahal as well as the picture wall in the Lahore Fort for some time now and with a considerable financial effort.

Q As a global leader, Germany has extended significant help in a variety of sectors in Pakistan; please explain how Germany has assisted Pakistan in promoting higher education through various scholarship programmes.

Ambassador: We are proud to be able to offer numerous different opportunities for Pakistan’s brightest students to pursue their studies in Germany. The German Academic Exchange Service, or DAAD, is the most well-known, but other organisations, such as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, also provide scholarships. Not to mention the Erasmus + programme of the EU, which is sending 166 Pakistani students to Europe this year, with Germany being one of the top destinations.

Q What are your thoughts on the media and media freedom?

Ambassador: We believe that free media is essential in any democratic society, and therefore we have funded projects to that end for many years. Moreover, we are proud of the high-quality reporting provided by Deutsche Welle (DW) around the world, including Pakistan.

Q Ambassador, What are your thoughts on Pakistan’s efforts to implement the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan?

Ambassador: Pakistan has worked hard to achieve and implement the two FATF Action Plans on the prevention of terrorist financing and money laundering. As a result, we are delighted that Pakistan was successfully removed from the FATF’s “grey list” at the most recent plenary meeting. It is a huge victory for Pakistan.

It is important to note, however, that the measures achieved are also applied and adhered to in the medium and long term. I have no doubt that Pakistan will stand up for this and will demonstrate unequivocally that the plenary’s decision was correct.

As a member of the FATF Regional Group, regular reviews to monitor the status and implementation of necessary measures and legal regulations will continue in the future.

Q How many Pakistanis are currently residing in Germany? Please share your thoughts on the Pakistani diaspora in Germany and how they contribute to the country’s development.

Ambassador: Approximately 100,000 people of Pakistani origin currently live legally in Germany. They are involved in all aspects of life. According to a recent study, Pakistanis have had the highest rate of success among all migrants in finding employment in Germany.

Q What are your thoughts about Pakistan, its culture, people, and food? Which Pakistani foods and fruits are your favourites?

Ambassador: I am utterly impressed by the warm hospitality of Pakistanis. It enabled me to sample delicacies such as chapli kebab and dry fruits during my visits to Peshawar and Lahore. Upon coming here, I also fell in love with mangoes and cannot wait for the season to return.