In an effort to shore up the Musharraf government, most sanctions relating toPakistans (and Indias) 1998 nuclear tests and Pakistans 1999 militarycoup were waived in September and October of last year. On October 29, 2001, a StateDepartment spokesman pledged well over one billion dollars in U.S. assistance for Pakistanand several billion dollars from international organizations to help strengthen it as akey member of the U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition. Direct assistance programs willinclude aid for health, education, food, democracy promotion, child labor elimination,counter-narcotics, border security and law enforcement, as well as trade preferencebenefits. The United States also will support grant, loan, and debt rescheduling programsfor Pakistan by the various international financial institutions, including the WorldBank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank. In addition, Pakistan hasreceived promises of substantial aid, debt relief, and trade concessions from Japan andthe European Union in recognition of its support for the international anti-terrorismcoalition. Japan, Pakistans largest bilateral aid donor, announced on October 26,2001, that it was suspending sanctions imposed on Pakistan and India following their 1998nuclear tests.