Opening of Nathu La trade route a great opportunity: Fernadez

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Gangtok, June 21 (UNI) The resumption of Nathu La trade route is a small beginning but a great opportunity for economic development and people to people contact between India and China, Union Additional Commerce Secretary Christie Fernadez said.

The trade route is scheduled to be reopened on July six, 44 years after it was closed in the wake Indo-China conflict in 1962.

Mr Fernadez, who led a high-level six-member Indian delegation to Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) on June 16 to assess the level of preparedness by the Chinese side and work out the detail modalities for conducting the trade, arrived here last night.

He said initially the trade would be confined to the border areas only and the products and commodities produced by the residents of neighbouring areas would be allowed to be traded free of duty.

A ceremony would be organised at Nathu La on July 6 to mark the begining of border trade.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, officials of the Centre and governments from Indian side and Governor TAR C Phuntsang, Vice Minister of Chinese central government Haopeng from Chinese side are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.

Mr Fernadez said according to the MoU signed between the two countries only 29 products and commodities produced by the people residing in border areas had been identified for export and 15 for import without paying any duty.

When asked why no top dignitaries from the central government is coming to participate in the inaugural ceremony, he said the Centre wanted the state government to participate in the inaugural ceremony as it had played a significant role in development of infrastructure and in the proposed reopening of the trade route.

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