Pakistan to grant Most Favoured Nation status to India
Thursday October 13, 2011 11:48:17 AM,
IANS
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Islamabad: Pakistan
has, in principle, decided to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN)
status to India, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in the
National Assembly.
The minister said during question hour that the dialogue process
with India had been initiated after a gap of two years, reported
Associated Press of Pakistan.
Khar said: "The topmost priority of the country is to ensure
uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of core
Kashmir could be ensured."
"There are a number of achievements regarding relations with
India. We have achieved ground on trade with India. First time in
history, the Indian foreign minister had attended the reception of
Pakistan foreign minister in New York," she was quoted as saying.
During the past three years, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has
been discussed during all bilateral interactions between the
leadership of the two countries as well as at the foreign
secretary levels.
"I raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue with my Indian counterpart
at the ministerial meeting in New Delhi in July 2011. The joint
statement of the ministerial meeting underscored the need for
continued discussion of Jammu and Kashmir in a purposeful and
forward-looking manner with a view to finding a peaceful solution
by narrowing divergences and building convergences," the minister
said.
The MFN status could be a big step forward in strengthening trade
ties between the two neighbours. Once MFN status is granted,
Pakistan will have to treat India on par with its other favoured
trading partners. India has already granted most favoured nation
status to Pakistan and is treating it on par with other trading
partners.
Pakistan Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim had visited India
for five days last month.
Currently, Pakistan's exports to India stand at $300 million,
while imports from India are at $1.5 billion.
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