By IANS,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) foreign ministers have called on Pakistan to fully cooperate with the Indian investigation into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and hoped that the two neighbours would work together to punish those behind the attacks, media reports said Tuesday.
In a statement issued here Monday night following their regular meeting here, the foreign ministers of the 27-member grouping voiced their support to the continuation of the India-Pakistan dialogue in order to allow a reinforcement of the bilateral co-operation between the two nuclear-powered countries and of overall regional stability.
In a separate statement, they said the EU stands ready to strengthen bilateral relations with Pakistan and to look for possible ways of increasing its financial assistance to the country, the EuAsiaNews reported.
To accelerate progress in areas of mutual interest and in light of recent political changes, the EU commits to intensify its political dialogue and deepen its relations with Pakistan in 2009, in full respect of international law and UNSC Resolutions, said the statement.
The EU will look into suitable ways to further develop and intensify the political dialogue with Pakistan through the forthcoming visit to Islamabad of an EU foreign ministers troika, it noted.
The EU will jointly explore with the government of Pakistan how to intensify dialogue in the areas of trade and development, intercultural exchange, non-proliferation, human rights, migration, counterterrorism and radicalisation and education, the statement added.
Meanwhile, EU Commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner announced that the EU would increase aid to Pakistan to 50 million euro (about $64.4 million) from the current 15 million euro over the next three years.