Significant opportunity for India, Pak to expand trade: US

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Apr 30 (PTI) Describing the recent Indo-Pak
Commerce Secretary-level talks as "very positive", the US has
said the important decisions reached at the parleys could lead
to significant new trade benefits for the two countries.
"We have welcomed the progress that has taken place
between India and Pakistan, particularly over the last several
months," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
Asia, Robert Blake, told PTI here.
His remarks came when asked about a series of bilateral
talks between India and Pakistan in the past several months.
"We congratulate both Prime Ministers for the
very significant cricket diplomacy that took place at Mohali.
I think that was the very positive follow on to the
Home Secretary-level talks," he said in response to a
question.
"More recently, of course, the Commerce Secretaries
had, I gather, a very positive meeting in Islamabad where they
have apparently agreed to some important steps that could
yield quite significant new trade benefits between these two
countries," Blake said.
"We have always said that there are very significant
opportunities to expand trade between India and Pakistan that
would benefit both countries," he said.
A joint statement issued on Thursday after the Indo-Pak
Commerce Secretary-level talks in Islamabad said the two sides
would set up two groups of experts to examine the
"feasibility, scope and modalities" for a new initiative to
enable trade in electricity and to "initiate and substantially
expand trade in all types of petroleum products".
It said Pakistan recognised that the grant of Most
Favoured Nation status to India would help in expanding
bilateral trade and both sides agreed to remove non-tariff
barriers (NTBs) and other "restrictive practices" that hamper
commerce