BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: India and Pakistan will reportedly resume talks on trade expansion and the removal of non-tariff barriers between both countries on April 27.
Indian Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar will visit Pakistan later this month, the Dawn reports.
According to an official, Khullar will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Zaffar Mehmood on April 27 and 28 to strengthen bilateral trade relations that have remained at a standstill since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The resumption of dialogue will also provide a chance to Pakistan to persuade India to withdraw its resistance to the proposed EU trade concessions offered to the country in the wake of last year’s devastating floods, the official added.
The Indian government, with the help of a few others, had blocked the EU move of seeking waiver for implementation of trade concessions at the World Trade Organisation last month.
Another official said that an inter-ministerial meeting is scheduled in the next couple of days to finalise a strategy and minimum agenda for the talks with the Indian Commerce Secretary.
The business community has also been asked to submit details of non-tariff barriers they face during the export of their products to India, the official added.
According to the official, Pakistan had already set a stage for the resumption of talks, especially on trade, as the government unilaterally expanded the ‘positive list’ with India last month.
