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| Thursday, 3 July 2003 |
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Pakistan wants South Asia free trade negotiations in August ISLAMABAD, Wednesday (AFP) Pakistan said it had suggested to India that the next round of South Asian free trade talks take place in August. "We are committed to SAFTA (SAARC Free Trade Agreement) and ... to negotiations," Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan said at a weekly briefing. "What we have suggested to India and other members is that these negotiations be held sometime in late August." The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - a regional grouping founded in 1985 - comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Four rounds of talks have already been held. "We are looking forward to participating in the fifth round and I think that if South Asia moves towards free trade area this would be a big positive development," Khan said. Khan said Indian claims that Pakistan was not fully cooperating were "a misperception." Foreign secretaries of SAARC countries are to meet next month in Nepal's capital Kathmandu to finalise the dates of a summit-level meeting of leaders. Over the past decade, SAARC heads-of-state summits have become a favoured hunting ground for India and Pakistan to rake up bilateral disputes over Kashmir. The 12th SAARC summit was supposed to take place in Islamabad in January this year but was put off due to hostilities between the neighbours. |
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