HONG KONG, Dec 12: Mauritius Foreign Minister Anil Kumarasingh Gayan on Monday showed interest in importing molasses and ethanol from Pakistan. He stated this in a meeting with Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan at the sideline of the ministerial conference.

An official said both the ministers also discussed issues of mutual interests, specifically enhancing trade between the two developing countries.

The Mauritius minister also offered to share expertise in the area of tourism that had developed into a thriving industry in Mauritius. He also informed the Pakistani minister that Mauritius was in the process of developing a centre for excellence in capacity-building and human resource development under the auspices of COMSEA and indicated that Pakistan could provide Urdu teachers to further the growth of language in that region.

Meanwhile, the head of UNDP delegation to the WTO conference, Dr Hafeez Pasha, called on the commerce minister to apprise him of the work undertaken by the UNDP on development related capacity-building for developing countries and expressed his appreciation of Pakistan’s constructive and positive role in negotiations in the WTO.

Senator Coleman of the United States also called on the Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan and congratulated him on his designation as facilitator of NAMA negotiations.

Mr Khan also held a meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. During the meeting, the minister raised the issue of anti-dumping duties on Pakistani bedlinen and urged the EU commissioner for suspension of the same.

The minister said the suspension of these duties was urgently required to provide some relief to the economic hardship the country was facing in the aftermath of devastating earthquake.

Mr Mandelson promised that the EU would soon send a recommendation to its anti-dumping committee for a temporary suspension of the duties. The committee is likely to meet on December 15, 2005.