ISLAMABAD, May 27: Pakistan and Turkey on Thursday agreed to consider duty concessions on around 255 tradable items to each other under the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

Official sources told Dawn on Thursday that the two sides also exchanged the proposed lists of goods for duty concessions during the first round of technical negotiations held here from May 25-27 to implement the PTA between the two countries.

Tevfik Mengu, Director General Foreign Trade, led the Turkish delegation for negotiating the lists, rules of origin with Pakistani officials. According to the officials, Turkey sought concession on around 115 items from Pakistan in the proposed lists.

While Islamabad demanded concession on around 140 items from Ankara. These lists, the officials said would be discussed with the relevant stakeholders in both countries before allowing any duty concession on it under PTA.

The officials said that it was also agreed in the meeting that Turkey would soon send a draft copy of rules of origin to Pakistan. This draft would be discussed at length with the relevant stakeholders following finalization, added the officials.

Following the finalization of lists and rules of origin, the PTA is expected to be concluded in the second round of technical negotiations scheduled to be held in Ankara in July this year, said the officials.

The officials said following the consensus of the technical teams of the two countries on the draft PTA, the ministers of Pakistan and Turkey would sign the agreement. It is expected that the agreement will be signed in the month of September 2004 during the proposed visit of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to Ankara.