The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The two-day 13th commerce secretary- level meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will begin in the city on November 24.

The last such meeting on the economic cooperation of the forum was held in Islamabad in November, 2004, official sources said yesterday.

The forthcoming meeting is considered to be important as it will take stock of the progress of the trade cooperation among the member countries of the eight-member regional grouping, the sources said.

The meeting will discuss strategies to eliminate or minimise tariff and non-tariff barriers to promote intra-regional trade and economic cooperation, the sources said.

Preferences accorded to the least developed countries (LDCs) of the grouping, particularly within the framework of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), is expected to figure prominently at the discussion.

Bangladesh is likely to raise the difficulties it was facing in its trade with neighbours through land ports due to absence of required infrastructural facilities, official sources said.

The agenda, which will be discussed at the meeting, include review of progress on matters relating to economic cooperation since the 12th meeting, current status of trade cooperation and integration in SAARC, current status of study on potentials for trade in services under SAFTA agreement, efforts to eliminate non-tariff measures/para tariff measures, regional connectivity and intra-SAARC trade.

The meeting will also review implementation of various trade facilitation measures, including work of the standing group on standard, quality control and measurement, SAARC standards coordination board and group on customs cooperation, and implementation of SAARC agreement on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, the sources said.

It will also discuss draft agreement on promotion and protection of investment, establishment of SAARC arbitration council and cooperation with international organisations. The committee, the sources said, will discuss and decide on over a dozen of items, including discussion on identification of new potential areas of economic cooperation among the member countries of the SAARC.