Name items you don't want to import from us: India to Pak

LD FM

New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) India Tuesday asked Pakistan to
name the items it does not want to import from New Delhi, so
that trade can be scaled up at least in the other goods --
which it said could help cool regional tensions.
"Most important factors to my mind to improve the economic
cooperation between our two nations... replacement of existing
positive list by negative list of goods beyond which it
(Pakistan) would permit imports from India," Finance Minister
of India Pranab Mukherjee said at the Indo-Pak business meet
organised by Confederation of Indian Industries, the 'Times of
India' and Jang Group.
Mukherjee said development of trade and other economic
relations between the two nations is natural and necessary to
maintain peace, and stability as also for fostering
development in south Asia.
"Expansion of these relations can help significantly in
reducing regional tensions and mutual mistrust," he said.
At present, Pakistan has a positive list of items for
imports from India. This creates a major problem for bilateral
trade since it becomes difficult to identify items in which
Indian exports are not allowed.
The Pakistan's positive list of imported items from India
has been substantially expanded to 1,934 items as of September
2009 from 773 in July 2006.
Pakistan currently allows India to export items like meat,
edible oil, cereals, tobacco, chemicals, fertilisers, leather,
cotton, silk, coffee, tea and oilseeds.
The Finance Minister also called for liberalisation of the
trade regime in the two countries, improvement in
communication and free movement of goods between the two
countries for expansion of bilateral trade.
Mukherjee said bilateral trade between India and Pakistan
grew by 550 per cent between 2003-04 and 2007-08 to USD
2,248.5 million.
However, it decreased 19.1 per cent to USD 1,810 million
during 2008-09, when Indian exports decreased, but imports
increased, he added.
The Finance Minister said the government is setting up a
modern integrated check post at the India-Pak border at Atari,
Amritsar.
"The experience that we can draw from around the world
would show that a more economically integrated and rapidly
developing region would generate a peace dividend," he said.
Extended trade relationships would reduce potential for
conflict by creating strong constituencies for peace, which
could be a major additional benefit for the countries in south
Asia, he said.
"Peace and stability in the region would contribute to a
perception of South Asia as a stable region for investment and
lead to increased FDI into the region," Mukherjee said. PTI
BSP
KAB


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