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| Friday, 9 January 2004 |
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Bangladeshi Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan said on Wednesday that the 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit would be held in Dhaka in 2005, the Daily Star reported yesterday. The next summit would be very important for this organisation as it will step into third decade, the foreign minister told a briefing. He said the just concluded 12th SAARC summit in Islamabad was a milestone in South Asia's history as it struck a deal for South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). He expressed optimism that Bangladesh would benefit from the SAFTA. The minister said after the SAFTA agreement comes into force in January 2006, Bangladesh will enjoy zero to five per cent tariff concessions on its exports to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. On the other hand, this preferential treatment would be enjoyed by other states of the region for their exports to Bangladesh from 2016, he added. The minister also said SAARC leaders highly praised the Bangladeshi suggestion on poverty alleviation, and that India agreed to provide US $ 100 million to form a fund in poverty alleviation in South Asia. About talks of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia with her Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee during the SAARC summit, Khan said the talks were held in a "very cordial atmosphere," and that their discussion covered issues including water sharing of the common rivers and combating terrorism. - Xinhuanet |
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