Pakistan expresses gratitude for Czech aid

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud has thanked the Czech Republic for humanitarian aid sent to help Pakistan with recovery from a devastating earthquake in October. Mr Mahmud made his statement in Islamabad during a visit by his Czech counterpart Cyril Svoboda. Originally, the Czech Republic donated aid worth 110 million crowns, the equivalent of roughly 4.3 million US dollars. During the two men's meeting Mr Svoboda also met - unexpectedly - with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in Pakistan for a conference related to the effects of the earthquake; on October 8th some 80, 000 died as a result. Hundreds of thousands of others are said to still be in need.