NAYPYIDAW (Myanmar): President Asif Ali Zardari has called for enhancing trade between Pakistan and Myanmar and a ‘preferential tariff arrangement’ leading to a comprehensive free trade agreement.
Talking to Myanmar President U. Thein Sein after his arrival here on Tuesday, he called for setting up a joint ministerial commission to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and collaboration in the oil and gas sector.
The president offered to send the minister for petroleum and natural resources to Myanmar for exploring prospects of meaningful cooperation.
According to the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, he called for consultations between the central banks of the two countries to study prospects of a currency swap arrangement for closer economic and trade cooperation.
He called for greater interaction between chambers of commerce and offered to send a delegation of businessmen. He expressed the hope that closer interaction between trade bodies would lead to the establishment of a joint business council.
Pakistan and Myanmar have modest trade relations and the volume of trade was $24 million in 2009-10.
The spokesman said the president also offered to share Pakistan’s experience in poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment.
He said the Benazir Income Support Programme had proved very successful and had been lauded by the international community.
“We would be happy to invite your ministers and officials to visit Pakistan to study this programme which aims at using the smart card technology for women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation.”
He offered educational and training facilities for Myanmar’s youths in medical, engineering and business colleges in Pakistan.
He also said that Myanmar’s diplomats could attend courses at the Foreign Service Academy.
He invited Myanmar’s president to visit Pakistan.
“Besides parliamentary exchanges we should also establish regular consultations between our foreign ministries.”
President Zardari invited Buddhists to visit ancient and archaeological sites in Pakistan.
He expressed the hope that Myanmar assuming the chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations in 2014 would see the culmination of Pakistan’s quest for closer and more effective institutional relationship with the organisation.
The president also thanked Myanmar for helping the flood-affected people in Pakistan over the past two years.
President Zardari will confer the Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Award on Wednesday on Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for her decades-long struggle for democracy.
He will also visit the mausoleum of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.—APP
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