Kamal Nath to address Ministerial Council of APTA tomorrow

Panaji, Oct 25 (UNI) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath will address the second Ministerial Council of Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), to be held at a South Goa resort, tomorrow, in a bid to make it an important platform for regional economic cooperation and integration.

More than 30 delegates, headed by respective ministers and vice-ministers from six APTA states like Bangladesh, China, India, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka will attend the conference.

The most important agenda of the meet is the launch of the fourth round of tariff negotiations which, when completed, will deepen and widen trade relations among the six participating states.

The ministers will also adopt an agreement on the Operational Rules for the Certification and Verification of the Origin of Goods.

It is for the first time that the economnic power houses of China, India and Republic of Korea will adopt a common set of operational rules.

Together with membership expansion, which is expected to follow in the coming years, the APTA will emerge as the only regional trade agreement linking the east, southeast and south Asia.

APTA is thus poised to provide an important platform for regional economic cooperation and integration, according to official communique here today.

UNI