ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Nepal have agreed for bilateral cooperation in a number of fields including trade, commerce, banking, agriculture, energy, health, education, information technology, postal services and civil aviation.
The decision was taken in the sixth and concluding session of the Pakistan-Nepal Economic Commission held here another day.
The session was led by Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar while the Nepal side was represented by its Minister for Finance, Commerce, Industries and Supplies, Shankar Parsad Koirala. A number of decisions were taken during the meetings of the sixth session and to implement the decisions, minutes of the JEC were also signed.
Briefing media persons about the decisions taken during the meetings, Senator Ishaq Dar said that a draft of the Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Nepal was handed over to the Nepalese side for their examination. Further negotiations in this regard, he said will be discussed by a joint trade committee of the two countries. He said the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry will explore areas of trade diversification particularly involving the private sectors of the two countries in collaboration with Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the exchange of business delegations will be made a regular feature.
Furthermore, he said a draft of MoU on establishing linkages between Alternative Energy Development board of Pakistan and Alternative Energy Promotion Centre of Nepal was given to the Nepali delegation for formalization of mutual cooperation in the sector.
Speaking on the occasion Shanker Prasad Koirala said that there is a good scope of promoting trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Cooperation in the fields, such as, agriculture tourism, education and culture, health, textiles and leather industries would contribute in the economic development and prosperity of our people, he added.
Shankar Prasad said that frequent exchange of business delegations, organization of trade and tourism festivals in both the countries and collaboration between the two private sectors would give further impetus to the promotion of trade and commerce.
