A ceremony was held at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) office in Islamabad to mark the issuance of a special Rs. 70 Commemorative Coin for the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Pakistan.
The ceremony was hosted by the Deputy Governor of the SBP, Dr. Murtaza Syed. The Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Sohail Mahmood, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest besides the Ambassador of Germany, Bernhard Schlagheck, who was the Guest of Honor.
In his address, Dr. Syed welcomed the Foreign Secretary and the Ambassador of Germany and highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries. He also mentioned the strong financial and banking connections that have helped to promote bilateral trade, remittances, and investments.
Dr. Syed spoke about the exemplary cooperation between the two central banks of Pakistan and Germany and said that the SBP has benefitted immensely from the training and development programs organized by the Bundesbank. He also paid tribute to the German-Pakistani nun, Dr. Ruth Pfau, for her untiring and selfless efforts to fight leprosy in Pakistan and remarked that Pakistan had also issued a commemorative coin to honor her services in 2018.
Ambassador Schlagheck thanked the Government of Pakistan and the SBP for the ceremony. He detailed the design of the coin and explained the historic importance of the buildings depicted on it — the Brandenburg Gate and the Minar-e-Pakistan. He also stated that Germany and Pakistan have a long history of development cooperation that was reflected most recently by the ongoing visit of Germany’s Deputy Minister for Development.
He reiterated the history of the close high-level interactions between the two countries, alluding to the planned visits of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Germany and the German Minister for Foreign Affairs to Pakistan. He emphasized that the two countries have strong relations in the areas of finance, culture, and education besides praised the contributions of the Pakistani diaspora in Germany. He acknowledged that they are playing an important role in promoting social prosperity and economic development in Germany.
Foreign Secretary Mahmood spoke about the strong relations that Germany and Pakistan have established over many decades and also underscored their cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, environment, education, science and technology, and defense and security. He said that Germany is Pakistan’s biggest trading partner within the European Union, and appreciated the investment made by German institutions in Pakistan. Besides this, he highlighted Germany’s influence in the intellectual evolution of Allama Iqbal.
Germany and Pakistan’s diplomatic relationship was established on 15 October 1951, and its commemorative coin has a diameter of 30 mm and weighs 13 grams, with milled serrations on the edge. The coin is cupro-nickel, with 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel.