BHURBAN, Sept 9: Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has urged Pakistan for opening of trade through land route for increasing the flow of goods between the two countries. An official told Dawn on Friday that the commerce ministers of India and Pakistan met on the sidelines of the G-20 ministerial meeting being held here at a hilly resort to firm up agenda for the upcoming WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong.

The official said that both ministers raised many issues particularly the enhancement of trade cooperation. The Indian minister asked for addition of more items in the positive list to increase its exports to Pakistan.

At an informal interaction with media, Indian commerce minister confirmed that he had met his Pakistani counterpart for discussing various issues including allowing of trade through land route particularly through Wagha border.

Replying to a question, he said that the enhancement of trade was in the interest of the two countries. He said that businessmen of the two countries are pushing their governments for liberalizing trade between the two big South Asian countries.

Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told Dawn that liberalization of trade with India was part of composite dialogue. He said if there was progress on political front, talks on further liberalization of trade would also move forward.

The minister confirmed the Indian minister had requested for allowing land route. However, he said more trade talks to follow between the two countries.

The minister said that he was scheduled to visit India on Sept 19. During his stay he would meet Indian businessmen in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Mr. Khan said the two countries are currently engaged in assessing the comparative advantages. He said the two countries are currently engaged in composite dialogue to resolve Kashmir and other contentious issues.

Any progress achieved in the composite dialogue would help trade negotiations, he added. He said Pakistan had already allowed imports of several items through the land border and progress on the political front would also help improve ties on the trade front.

The Indian minister in an interview to Press Trust of India (PTI) said that in his meeting with his Pakistan counterpart, he raised the issue of growing economic engagement which serves both countries well.

He said he told Khan in the meeting that crucial to enhancing the trade between the two countries was opening of land routes for trade as well as permit to more goods other than the five essential items currently being imported by Pakistan to bring down prices and inflation.

He said he tried to impress Khan saying that India was not only large economy but also a large growing market which Pakistan could take advantage. Indian market will provide large market access to Pakistan which no country could offer, he said. For India the emerging regional market would provide a competitive edge.

The land routes provided more competitive edge in prices he said he had asked Khan to open the Wagaha and other border points for more trade.

Trade between the two countries has began picking up ever since the commencement of peace process last year. According to recent figures Indian exports to Pakistan touched $500 million while Pakistan’s exports to India crossed $100 million.

Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan talking to Dawn said there was complete harmony among the G-20 member countries on agricultural issue seeking complete elimination of export subsidy, reduction in tariff peaks and enhanced market access for the products of developing countries.

Replying to a question, the minister said that the G-20 had informally discussed non-agriculture market access (NAMA) and services and rules.

To another question, the minister said that the developed countries in the July framework 2004 had introduced the concept of sensitive products. Our study shows that two per cent developed countries agriculture products are classified as sensitive products and those products are of interest of developing countries. “We will be very careful in this area,” the minister said.

Earlier, in his speech at the inaugural session, copy of the speech was made available to media, Mr. Khan called upon the G-20 member countries not to allow the developed countries postpone reforms or avail unrealistic timeframe on the pretext of helping preference availing countries.

He said they had a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and with commitment and a focused approach they would be able to achieve their goals.

He said some countries had argued that they should use Doha Development Agenda (DDA) for negotiations to get agricultural reforms only in the developed countries while that should be their priority as developed countries which were causing all the distortions, nevertheless they felt that South-South trade was also very important.