09 February 2005	Wednesday	29 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Federal Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan proposed single country exhibitions in Pakistan and Sri Lanka after the implementation of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

The minister made the proposal during a meeting with President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga here on Tuesday. The two countries are scheduled to sigh the protocol on Wednesday to make the much-awaited FTA operational.

The Sri Lankan President welcomed the proposal and assured full cooperation to Pakistan in holding its exhibition in Sri Lanka.

Mr Humayun said that the visit of the Sri Lankan President was a historic event and both countries would be exchanging diplomatic notes for the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Wednesday. This would be the first FTA of Pakistan with any country.

Mr Khan expressed the hope that bilateral FTA was possible only with the political support extended by the President of Sri Lanka during the recent visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to Sri Lanka.

This support indicated deeper political relations between the two countries. He said that the bilateral FTA was the beginning of deeper economic and commercial relations with Sri Lanka.

He said that on Thursday the two countries would sign a protocol to take this process further by undertaking negotiations on trade in services and investment.

Mrs Kumaratunga on this occasion invited the commerce minister to visit Sri Lanka to further boost trade relations.