Measures being taken to enhance trade with C. Asian countries: minister

Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar said Pakistan has been taking special measures to further enhance trade ties and connectivity with Central Asian countries to boost the national economy.

Pakistan has been working on a policy to enhance trade and connectivity with Central Asia, and the government has already taken several measures to materialise the policy, the minister said.

He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan have already finalised and implemented the main operational part of the transit trade agreement which would ensure the free movement of trucks between the two countries.

Similarly, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have signed a transit trade agreement and an agreement on preferential trade, which provides preferential access of products of one country to the other by eradicating trade barriers, Qamar said.

The country also established joint working groups on trade with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to ensure economic cooperation by holding business forums, exhibitions, and seminars and eradicating technical barriers to trade by harmonising standards, he said.

Economic cooperation in the spheres of trade, banking, and customs has been agreed upon with Iran, according to the minister. Pakistan and Iran have also signed a memorandum of understanding to establish six joint border markets that will benefit locals.