Rescheduled: ‘Talks with Pakistan deferred until Sept’

Pakistan wanted postponement of the meeting: Indian Commerce Secretary

NEW DELHI: Indian Commerce Secretary S R Rao on Saturday said that the commerce secretary-level talks with Pakistan, which were scheduled for this month, were deferred at Islamabad’s request. “Pakistan wanted postponement of the meeting. Hopefully, the commerce secretaries of both countries will meet in September. Hopefully, there will be an agreement between India and Pakistan,” Rao said. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘Open House Meet with Commerce Secretary’, a programme jointly organised by Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Pharmexcil and Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The final round of talks between India and European Union may take place sometime in September, Rao said. “We are in the final leg of negotiations. Hopefully, by the end of this year we should be able to conclude the deal. We have closed most of the issues,” Rao said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2012.