By IANS,
Washington : The US has provided funds to Pakistan to complete construction of two hydroelectric dam projects in the country, a media report said Saturday.
The US assistance is being provided to Satpara hydroelectric dam project in Gilgit-Baltistan region and Gomal Zam hydroelectric dam in South Waziristan, the Dawn newspaper reported quoting the US State Department.
“We are considering doing more in the sector,” said the department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland.
There were also reports that the US would support the $12 billion Diamer-Bhasha dam project on the Indus river in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Nuland said Pakistan had requested the international community’s support for the project.
“We recognise that such a hydroelectric project would help meet many of Pakistan’s long-term energy and water needs, as well as advance social and economic development,” she said.
“We are considering how we can best support Pakistan’s request, as are other bilateral donors and multilateral financial institutions.”
The US, she said, has not yet made a final decision on this project. If the US supports the project, it will be the largest civilian aid from the US to Pakistan in decades.
Asked if the US was concerned if support to these projects would affect its ties with India, Nuland said the US had long supported development projects that enhance the daily lives of people throughout the region. “In doing so, we always take into account a project’s potential regional impact,” she added.