February 21, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 3, 1428

RIYADH, Feb 20: Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan has urged Riyadh to help accelerate the finalisation of the Free Trade Agreement between GCC and Pakistan.

In his inaugural address at the inaugural session of the 8th session of the Pak-Saudi Joint Economic session here on Tuesday, he underlined the need between the two countries to review tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate promotion of bilateral trade through increased interaction, including exchange of businessmen delegations, liberalisation of business visa regimes and participation in trade fairs.

The minister identified various sectors for cooperation and investment in non-traditional sectors such as agriculture, livestock and fisheries, cotton research and production, gem and jewellery besides human resource development.

He also highlighted the Dazzle Park scheme planned by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) in Karachi to promote all facilities including manufacturing and trading of precious and semi-precious stones under one roof.

Mr Humayun said that Pakistan had been providing educational facilities to Saudi students in Medicine and Engineering and offered to extend similar facilities to Saudi students in other fields such as Information Technology, business, agriculture and forestry and Revenue collection.

Pakistan can also extend training in the fields of therapeutic and diagnostic services as also training of doctors, nurses, paramedics in the field of neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery and paediatrics, he added.

Earlier welcoming the Pakistani delegation, the Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industries, Dr Hashim Yamani said that all support would be provided to the participants to identify various opportunities available in our two countries and translate them into tangible realities which would confer benefits on both the economies.