ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is giving final touches to the agenda for the proposed official visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), official sources told Business Recorder.
On March 10, 2022 during an inter-ministerial meeting updated status of pending agreements/ MoUs between Pakistan and UAE came under discussion. The meeting decided that all relevant ministries/departments will expedite action on those agreements/ MoUs, which are pending on the Pakistan side and share the list of those agreements/ MoUs that are ready for signatures from Pakistan side.
MoFA has sought update on the following long outstanding issues: (i) Air Services Agreement (ASA) including UAE’s requests for Operation of A380 to Pakistan; (ii) increase in flight operations etc (Aviation Division); (iii) problems being faced by DP World in Port Qasim (Ministry of Maritime Affairs); (iv) Anti-dumping duties (Ministry of Commerce); (v) Etisalat issue Privatisation Commission); and (vi) dates for the 12th Session of the JMC (Economic Affairs Division).
According to sources, all concerned divisions/departments have been requested to provide requisite information on priority, latest by March 16, 2022 (today). The details of draft bilateral agreements/ MoUs in the pipeline between Pakistan and the UAE is as follows: (i) amendments on the agreement of Avoidance of Double taxation Agreement (ADTA) (Revenue Division); (ii) draft MoU on cooperation on the establishment of a Joint Committee for Consular Affairs between Pakistan and UAE ( Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training); (iii) draft MoU on the Maritime Shipping & Institutional Development (Ministry of Maritime Affairs; (iv) draft MoU on the Maritime Shipping & Institutional Development; (v) draft MoU for cooperation in Halal Trade between Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA) and Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), UAE; (vi) Air Service Agreement (ASA) between Government of Pakistan and the UAE (Aviation Division); (vii) draft MoU on cultural cooperation between the UAE and Pakistan (National Heritage & Culture Division); (viii) draft cooperation agreement between Pakistan and the UAE(DP World); (ix) draft MoU between Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, UAE (Ministry of Industries and Production); (x) MoU for cooperation between National Centre for Metrology, UAE and Metrological Department, Pakistan (Ministry of Science and Technology); (xi) MoU between Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP); and (xii) MoU in the field of cyber between Cyber Security Council of the UAE and Pakistan (Ministry of Interior).
Draft bilateral agreements/MoUs in the pipeline between Pakistan and the UAE pending at UAE side are as follows: (i) agreement between the UAE and Pakistan on Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters; (ii) visa abolition agreement between Pakistan and UAE on diplomatic and official passports; (iii) agreement on supply of urea to Pakistan on long-term basis; (iv) agreement on financing the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower project; (v) draft MoU on banking cooperation in the field of supervision, exchange of supervisory information etc; (vi) draft agreement for recognition of product conformity certificates between the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA); (vii) draft MoU for cooperation in Halal Accreditation between PNAC and ESMA; (viii) an exclusive MoU on cooperation in “combating illicit trafficking on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substance and their precursors”;(ix) MoU between Pakistan and the UAE for development of renewable energy projects in Pakistan; (xi) bilateral agreement on cultural cooperation between UAE and Pakistan; (xi) draft MoU between Customs Administrations of the UAE and Pakistan on establishment of electronic data exchange; (xii) draft agreement between the UAE Armed Forces and Pakistan Armed Forces concerning the secondment of personnel to the UEA; (xiii) draft MoU between the UAE and Pakistan on cooperation in combating human trafficking; (xiv) MoU on mutual cooperation in criminal matters between NAB and Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority of UEA; (xv) MoU in the field of tourism; (xvi) MoU on Joint Investment Cooperation; and (xvii) MoU for academic and scientific cooperation between COMSATS University Islamabad and Ajman University, UAE; and (xviii) MoU between Pakistan and the UAE regarding cooperation in the field of environment.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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