India-Pakistan trade talks begin tomorrow

New Delhi, July 30 (UNI) Commerce Secretaries of India and Pakistan begin bilateral trade talks here tomorrow, with a heavy agenda.

A 12-member Pakistan delegation led by Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Ali Shah reached here today to hold parleys for the fourth round with his Indian counterpart G K Pillai in a city hotel. The third round was held in Islamabad on March 28-29.

The agenda for the talks include trade in goods and services, important issues like tea exports from India, joint registration of basmati rice , discussion on expanding bilateral trade and new items for trade such as cement, an official Indian statement said.

The bilateral trade between the two countries more than doubled in the last two years from 616.05 million dollars in 2004-05 to 1326.41 million dollars in 2006-07. Pakistan exports to India grew from USD 94.97 million (2004-05) to USD 323.19 million (2006-07), while India to Pakistan grew from USD 521.05 million (2004-05) to USD 1003.22 million (2006-07), the statement added.

The two-day talks will be followed by Joint Study Group of the two nations on August 3, as part of the composite dialogue, sources said.

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