Sub-regional cooperation necesssary: Minister

Chennai, Mar 16 (UNI) Indian states should have sub-regional cooperation with neighbours in trade, services and should lift the investment ban on Pakistan, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here.

Delivering a special lecture on 'India and her neighbours - new economic partnerships,' organised jointly by the Triplicane Cultural Academy and the Kasturi Srinivasan Library here last night, he said sub-regional cooperation could be formed with neighbours without breaking the political boundaries.

Mr Ramesh said India's globalisation would be incomplete and unsustainable without economic engagement with South Asia and it should go beyond the narrow merchandise of trade.

Pointing out that India had trade surplus with most of its neighbours apart from Bhutan, the Minister stressed the need for purchasing more commodities from neighbours to increase its footprint in South Asia.

India should have intelligent trade adjustment programme to deal with regions and communities that were adversely affected. We should not go back by putting trade barrier or imposing import quota, he added.

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