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| SAFTA dominates agenda of SAARC Fgn Secys meet | | |
Dhaka, July 31: Implementation of South Asia Free Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) and associating some other countries with SAARC topped the agenda of the meeting of Foreign Secretaries of the seven-nation grouping here today.
The Foreign Secretaries of the seven-nation regional grouping laid the groundwork for the two-day ministerial meeting that will fine-tune the agenda for the next summit to be held in Delhi early next year.
Among the issues deliberated in the meeting was the implementation of SAFTA, which has come into force on July one, but is having teething problems because of differences between India and Pakistan.
Members, however, expressed confidence that the differences over it would be sorted out.
"If there are any problems within the framework of SAFTA agreement, they can be addressed," Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan said.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohammad Hemayatuddin said his country looked positively at all issues and was hopeful on the resolution of the SAFTA issue.
Despite SAFTA coming into force on July one, Pakistan had notified that the agreed tariff concessions under the trade agreement were 'subject to import policy notified by the Ministry of Commerce'.
India had taken strong objection to Pakistan attaching conditionalities to trade with it under SAFTA and said Islamabad's action was against the essence of the Agreement and "contradict the commitment" made by the leaders at the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka in November last. |
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