The agreement on starting negotiations was developed during a meeting between the Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan and Tajikistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirodjidin Aslov.
“The true potential of the proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan transit trade agreement can be explored to the fullest only if the two sides start negotiations on PTA,” both minister agreed.
Speaking on the occasion, Dastgir proposed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the trade promotion organisation of Tajikistan to enhance trade, increase trade exhibitions, simplify trade procedures and limit time for issuance of visas for businessmen of both countries.
The Minister said that the Ministry of Commerce will arrange business-to-business meetings in order to enhance trade and investment in the textile sector of Tajikistan.
He also proposed the formation of Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Business Council so that direct business-to-business contacts may be established to avail any opportunity swiftly.
Dastgir emphasised that the vision of Pakistani prime minister was to link the regions through infrastructure, mobile phone and financial system connectivity which would be instrumental in the economic uplift of the people of the South and Central Asia.
The CASA-1000 project will be a classic example of economic interdependence between the two regions and provide Pakistan with the much-eagerly required electricity.
The Minister also talked about the desire to create an energy market in the region which could easily be supplied to any country with an energy deficiency, once the grid is established.
On the occasion, Aslov proposed the establishment of rail and road networks, which would link Tajikistan with the southern ports of Pakistan and help their land-locked country to trade with the world through sea.
To ensure food security of Tajikistan, Aslov sought to increase agricultural imports from Pakistan as only 7% of the land of Tajikistan is available for crop cultivation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2014.
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Instead of looking for trade with India which is our time tested enemy we need to explore te real opportunity to trade with Tajikistan,Iran, that will fulfil our enemy deminds for decades to come to give us good relations as well as minimizer the Indian role in Tajikistan and centhral Asian republack countries. Instead of giving ways trade route to India we need to actually their role by enhancing our own role for the benefit of both brotherly Islamic neighbourhood countries.
Pakistan-Tajikistan trade will benefit the people of both these countries.