ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: Pakistan and Mauritius on Wednesday concluded talks on a framework for opening up markets for services providers in both the countries.

Both sides agreed to engage on project-based cooperation in the area of trade in services such as information and communication technology, health, education, tourism and logistic services.

These understandings were reached in the three-day talks as part of the 9th round of Pakistan-Mauritius Joint Working Group (JWG) held at the Ministry of Commerce.

The JWG, which was established in 2005, is a formal platform for structured dialogue between the government officials of the two countries with a view to dynamise trade and economic relations.

A statement issued here said that the two sides had agreed to further deepen their collaboration in the field of higher education. Pakistan will facilitate the admission of Mauritian students for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as professional degrees.

The JWG appreciated the collaboration between the Pakistan’s Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital and Mauritius Eye Hospital. The Mauritian side acknowledged the contribution of Dr Wajid Ali Khan and his team of eye specialists for performing complicated eye surgeries in Mauritius on charitable basis for the last three years.

Both sides also worked on expansion of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which is operational since 2007. The PTA allows some hundreds of tariff lines to be traded between Mauritius and Pakistan on preferential terms.

It was agreed that the PTA would pave the way for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will encompass substantially all products and will also cover trade in services as well. However, both sides had agreed to create awareness and to expand the existing market to utilise the potential of the PTA to the fullest.

During the three days deliberation, the need for further consolidating the PTA was underlined. It was also emphasised that concrete programmes should be put in place to create synergies between the business community of the two countries.