Trade officials of SAARC countries except for Pakistan on Wednesday held a video conference to discuss the impact of travel restrictions and the larger COVID19 situation on intra-regional trade.
"All SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, except Pakistan, participated in the video conference," the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a statement. Sources in Islamabad said they did not participate due to no participation by the SAARC secretariat.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that they should find new ways to find "sustain and expand" the intra-regional trade until the usual trade routes are fully restored.
"In order for the SAARC countries to deal with the situation, it was stressed that new ways and means be jointly identified to sustain and expand the intra-regional trade until the normal trade channels are fully restored," the MEA further added.
The officials also stressed on specific issues like facilitation of trade through pragmatic solutions in view of the pandemic.
"Some specific issues addressed at the video conference included facilitation of trade through pragmatic solutions such as provisional clearance of imports at preferential duty with suitable conditions, provisional acceptance of digitally signed certificates of origin," the MEA said in a statement.
Last month Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a SAARC meet via video conference at heads of govt/states level for a regional coordinated policy on COVID-19. All countries had participated at heads of govt/state level in barring Pakistan which had sent a junior level advisor for the meet.
India had proposed an emergency COVID fund in which all countries barring Pakistan have announced contribution.
After the heads of state meet, health ministry officials of the SAARC countries had also met via video conference. During the meet, the Indian side had proposed a shared electronic platform for all SAARC nations to share and exchange information, knowledge, expertise and best practices for jointly combating the coronavirus epidemic.
(With agency inputs)
