ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Bala Bahadar Kunwar has called for exploring ways for enhancing bilateral trade through land route.

Talking to President of Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tariq Sayeed here on Thursday, he said the land route would help in promoting bilateral and regional trade between the two countries.

The South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta) has no provision for allowing transit trade of the land-locked countries. As Nepal is a land-locked country, it will be very difficult to persuade India for allowing Pakistani goods for transit to Nepal. The New Delhi is demanding the same facility from Pakistan for its export to Afghanistan via Wagha border.

Mr. Kunwar invited a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry to Nepal and assured that he would provide assistance in having appointments and meetings with their counterparts and senior trade authorities concerned in Nepal.

According to a press release of the Saarc Chamber, the crux of the meeting was to discuss the prospects of regional and bilateral trade and its promotion with reference to the border trade.

The Nepal’s envoy also suggested that meetings of Pakistani and Nepali business councils should be held on a regular basis to promote trade. He said that the business council meeting was due in Nepal and assured that he would personally facilitate its arrangements.

Mr Sayeed said that the delegations were major apparatus to uphold bilateral trade and assured the envoy to send the Pakistani trade delegation to Nepal at the earliest. He stressed that now investment had overtaken as a basic instrument to promote the international trade.