September 4, 2003	Thursday	Rajab 6, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: The government on Wednesday decided to constitute a high-level committee to look into matters relating to World Trade Organization regime.

The decision was taken here at a meeting of inter-ministerial committee on WTO appointed by the government.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of commerce, industries and production, agriculture, science and technology, and environment along with federal secretaries of the ministries concerned.

The ministers of industries, agriculture, science and technology, environment and senior officials of the ministries concerned will be members of the proposed committee.

The committee will review the implementation process of WTO agreements to cope with the challenges of globalization.

According to an official announcement, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan briefed the ministers about the state agenda for the WTO ministerial conference at Cancun, Mexico, scheduled for September 10-14.

Mr Humayun also briefed the meeting about Pakistan’s views on the issues to be discussed at the Cancun meeting, particularly on the agriculture negotiations. Pros and cons of the ongoing negotiations at Cancun and its impact on Pakistan economy was also discussed in the meeting.

Agriculture minister Yar Mohammad Rind informed the meeting that his ministry had established laboratories at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to check the standard of agriculture products before exporting them.

He said a comprehensive policy should be prepared to meet the challenges facing “our agriculture exports”.