WASHINGTON, June 22: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) team and Pakistan’s delegation led by Commerce Secretary Tasneem Noorani on Tuesday discussed in detail Pakistan-US free trade agreement in a meeting held at the office of the USTR.

“The USTR team comprised experienced negotiators, and detailed discussions took place,” official sources later stated.

This meeting was held in pursuance to an earlier decision taken during the visit to Washington of Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan inn April this year.

“The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to examine the readiness for entering into a free trade agreement with the hope of harmonizing differing positions,” an official statement said.

“Exhaustive discussions took place on potential market access provisions and the rules environment for facilitating seamless movement of goods and services between the two countries.”

The objective of the commerce secretary’s visit to Washington is to prepare for the visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the US in end July. Strengthened bilateral economic relation with the US is a priority for the prime minister.

The commerce secretary emphasized upon the US counterparts that an FTA with the US would help integrate Pakistan’s economy with a major economy and also tie in with the government’s objective for rapid economic growth.

“International trade and exports will generate economic activity and help Pakistan to alleviate poverty”, the commerce secretary said. The meeting identified a limited number of areas where further harmonization of positions of the two countries was required.

The Pakistan delegation proposed that subsequent meetings focus on these areas.

Mr Noorani also called on US Under-Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Earl Anthony Wayne. The main topic of discussion during this meeting was Pakistan’s proposal for trade incentives for economically depressed regions of the country.

The statement said that Mr Noorani reiterated the strong correlation that existed between extremism and poverty in the country and discussed Pakistan’s plans to address regional disparity in the country. “An important way is to create incentives for private sector investment in economically depressed regions through international trade opportunities.”

He also shared a proposal for joint Pakistan-USA effort for economic development of Afghanistan through Pakistan-Afghanistan Qualified Industrial Zones. Mr Wayne appreciated the proposals from Pakistan.

“The meeting reviewed the remarkable progress made by Pakistan on intellectual property rights. Sustained enforcement in Pakistan had almost eliminated piracy in the country,” the official sources stated.

The meeting also noted recent establishment of PIPRO and shared the expectation that it would upgrade the legal environment for intellectual property in the country.

The meeting discussed possible trade capacity assistance in the field of intellectual property rights.—APP