Pak-Asean talks for FTA agreed
Pak-Asean talks for FTA agreed
Tuesday, 6 June, 2006
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Association of the South East Asian Nations (Asean) yesteray agreed to begin talks for signing a free trade agreement (FTA), officials said.
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and the visiting Secretary General of Asean Ong Keng Yong told reporters after the third Asean-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Co-operation Committee meeting here that senior officials of Pakistan and the 10-member grouping will discuss and finalise a strategy by July next year for the FTA signing.
Pakistan’s government is to place $1mn in the Pakistan-Asean fund to carry out feasibility study for the FTA and other projects of cooperation.
Aspiring for full membership of the organization, Pakistan is currently the Asean’s sectoral partner and its co-operation with the regional economic grouping is confined merely to a few areas.
However, after years of hectic efforts, Pakistan succeeded to become a member of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in 2004 on a condition that it would not raise political issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute on the forum, of which India is also a member.
ARF groups the 10 members of Asean and Australia, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South and North Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the US.
Foreign Secretary Khan said that the Islamabad meeting focused on enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and Asean in eight areas - trade, investment, industry, environment, tourism, science and technology, drug control and human resources.
The Asean secretary general said there was no obstruction in Pakistan’s entry in the organisation as the full-dialogue partner, adding “we hope to induct the country in our folds soon.”
Pakistan has already signed a Treaty of Amity and Co-operation with Asean, besides a Joint Declaration on Combating Terrorism
Earlier, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri highlighted the need for the FTA with Asean for enhancing bilateral economic ties.
The 710mn people in the region "will gain economic advantages of a free trade pact between Pakistan and Asean member countries, the foreign minister said when addressing the committee here, a local TV channel reported.
Pakistan "has a vital role in swift regional development, and due to its geographic location it is a bridge between the Middle East, Central Asia and Far East," Kasuri was quoted as saying.
Pakistan will play a key role in gas supply to India and China from Iran, Qatar, and Turkmenistan, he added.
(DPA, Xinhua)
