ISLAMABAD, July 12: The second ministerial meeting of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on commerce and foreign trade scheduled to be held here on July 17 will discuss measures for enhancing intra-regional trade and investment among member states.

An official at the Ministry of Commerce told Dawn on Saturday the delegates from ECO member countries would discuss the possibilities of further reducing trade barriers and facilitate regional exchange of goods and services.

Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will inaugurate the ministerial’s meeting on July 17, said the official.

The first ECO ministerial meeting held on July 23, 2002, discussed at length measures for promotion of intra-agriculture trade.

The meeting will also discuss cooperation in the field of transportation, investment, technology, tourism, agriculture and telecommunications.

“Strengthening each and every one of these sectors is of vital importance for sustained development and economic activity of our region,” said the official.

He said the establishment of Gwadar port would help in generating greater trade among ECO countries in near future.

Official figures made available to Dawn showed Pakistan achieved a trade surplus of $95.552 million with ECO member countries during the financial year 2001-02.

Pakistan’s total exports to ECO member countries during the financial year 2001-02 stood at $317.764m, while total imports from these countries to Islamabad were $222.212 million during the same period, indicating a trade surplus of over $95 million.