WTO concessions: Pakistan to woo Bangladesh support

Fahim says reservations of Bangladesh would be removed in the new phase of dialogue.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Friday said that Pakistan has decided to contact Bangladesh’s government to seek support on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) issue. Talking to a news channel, he said that the reservations of Bangladesh would be removed in the new phase of dialogue. Fahim said that Bangladesh had neither opposed Pakistan on the issue of attaining concessions for Pakistani products in the WTO nor raised voice in favour of them. He said according to the WTO rules and regulations, it is inevitable to have moral support of member countries. The reservations of Bangladesh would be removed by winning its support and favour

in consultation with other partners, he added. The federal minister assured that the government would
try its best to attain the moral support of Bangladesh
in this regard, since this matter had already been delayed for some time due to lack of support of Bangladesh, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th,  2011.