The federal cabinet which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday (today) with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair, will accord approval of defence co-operation agreements with ten countries, official sources told Business Recorder here Tuesday.
The countries with whom defence co-operation agreement would be signed are Spain, Tajikistan, Egypt, Italy, Kyrgyz Republic, Brazil, Jordan, Uganda, Malaysia and Republic of Korea. "All the proposed agreement have been supported by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence Production, Joint Staff Headquarters and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)," the sources added.
These agreements and protocols would pave the way for co-operation in military, defence, defence industry, scientific -technical fields, exchange posting of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Egyptian Air Force (EAF) officers.
The sources said, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) envisages co-operation in the fields of security and defence policy, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, military training/ exercise, defence industry and procurement of defence equipment.
With Malaysia, the agreement will provide exchange of military personnel to carry out duties in the respective units compatible with their ranks other than command and control responsibilities and non-participation in military operations, the sources continued.
The sources further said that the cabinet would also accord approval for starting negotiations with Iran and Australia, on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. They said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had forwarded a note on February 13 last year along with a draft agreement with the recommendations to examine the request for signing the agreement in question.
Accordingly the matter was examined in consultation with the Ministries of Law and Foreign Affairs and a counter draft agreement has been prepared by the Interior Ministry to be sent to Australian government, the sources said, adding that the matter with Iran was also of the same nature.
The cabinet would also approve ratification of agreement signed between Pakistan and Hellenic Republic on co-operation in fighting crime, especially terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and other organised crimes.
On commerce and trade side, the cabinet would allow the Commerce Ministry to start negotiations with Serbia on Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) leading to Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The sources said that this agreement is part of government's efforts to reach agreements with non-European Union member countries like Norway, Switzerland, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Belarus and Ukraine. They said, a large potential of Pakistan, Serbia bilateral trade growth therefor exists, which can be actualised by concluding a PTA.
As the federal cabinet approves the proposal, it would be sent to Serbia for starting negotiations formally. The cabinet would also approve a proposal of Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to formally initiate the process for establishing sister city relationship between Makassar Indonesia and Peshawar Pakistan.
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