Wide range of trade proposals discussed with India

13 Aug, 2004

Pakistan and India discussed a wide range of proposals on promotion of bilateral trade during two days of talks which ended on Thursday, a foreign ministry statement said.
Pakistan side was headed by commerce secretary Tasneem Noorani while Indian commerce secretary Deepak Chatterji led his country's delegation.
The discussions were held in "frank and cordial atmosphere," the statement said.
"Wide-ranging proposals were made on various aspects of economic and commercial co-operation. These would be considered further," it said without giving details of the proposals.
Noorani said information about the trade regime between the two countries had become "obsolete."
"We told the Indian delegations that we would like to update the information regarding the trade regime and Pakistan would send its business delegation to study the situation in this regard," Noorani told AFP.
India had already granted Pakistan Most Favoured Nation status (MFN), but Noorani said despite this exports from Pakistan to India remained too low - around one fifth of what Pakistan imports from India.
"We want to study the causes."
The two sides agreed to continue the discussions.
They also discussed a proposed 3.5-billion-dollar gas pipeline Iran wants to build for India via Pakistani territory.
In New Delhi an Indian government source said the Indian proposals included Pakistan granting MFN status to India.
New Delhi also suggested opening the Wagah-Atari border for trade and greater interaction among the business communities to establish joint ventures in identified areas.
It was also suggested that India and Pakistan amend a 1974 protocol on shipping to allow ships with third country flags to carry India and Pakistan bound cargo from each other's ports.
India offered to supply diesel to Pakistan, exchange experience acquired in compressed natural gas technology and urged Pakistan to allow Indian companies to explore for oil in offshore and onshore ventures there, Indian sources said.

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