KATHMANDU: Pakistan and Nepal on Monday agreed to enhance their bilateral relations and decided to further promote trade, economic, people-to-people, defence and cultural relations.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani who arrived here Monday morning called on Nepalese Prime Minister Madev Kumar Nepal at the Prime Minister House and discussed various aspects of bilateral relations.
It was the second meeting between the two premiers, as previously they met in Sharm-el-Sheikh in July last.
Prime Minister Gilani emphasized the need to translate the cordial relations into strong bonds of friendship between the two countries.
Gilani said Pakistan greatly values its relations with Nepal and these relations are based on mutual respect, mutual trust and shared perceptions on regional and international issues.
Prime Minister Gilani also condoled the death of former Prime Minister of Nepal G.P. Koirala who died in March this year.
He emphasized the need for expanding the high level exchanges between Pakistan and Nepal.
He said there should be more exchanges of parliamentary and people-to-people contacts on regular basis to add new impetus to and further invigorate existing cordial ties.
Prime Minister Gilani said, We need to focus on the promotion of bilateral cooperation in the areas identified in the roadmap to ensure our continued partnership in achieving peace and security in our region and at the international level.
The Prime Minister informed his Nepalese counterpart that Pakistan has finalized projects of Rs. 13.17 million for development in different sectors of Nepal under Special Assistance Programme for South Asia (SAPSA) in fiscal year 2009-10.
In this programme, the Prime Minister said Pakistan offered 29 scholarships last year and this number will be more in future.
He explained that the assistance include donation of ambulances, scholarships for Masters degree courses in Mass Communications and increased slots for the Nepalese trainees in different fields.
Referring to bilateral trade, Prime Minister Gilani said that trade and economic relations were not truly reflective of the potential that existed in both the countries.
He said, We need to find ways and means to strengthen our economic and commercial ties.
The Prime Minister also suggested joint endeavours for promoting cooperation in the fields of health, human resource development and agriculture and setting up of joint ventures in textiles and pharmaceutical sectors.
Besides highlighting the importance for Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, he said proposal for initiating negotiations on bilateral investment treaty between the two countries is presently under consideration of the Government of Nepal and emphasized the need to expedite the process.
He said efforts should be made to finalize Preferential Trade Agreement between the two countries to increase trade volume.
He said the Joint Economic Commission set up in 1983, has so far met only for five times and its last meeting was held in March 2005.
He said, We should reactivate this forum for identifying the new areas of possible cooperation and monitoring the progress in our trade and commercial ties.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for early decision to conclude a Bilateral Extradition Treaty which is pending with the Nepalese government since 2006.
Regarding defence cooperation between the two countries, the Prime Minster offered more assistance to Nepal. He said Pakistan has been and will continue accommodating officers of Nepalese Armed Forces in its defence and defence production training institutions.
hi , I found your Site in a new directory of Website s. I dont know how your Blog came up, must have been a typo, Your Site looks good. Have a nice day.
Hello can I quote some of the content from this blog if I reference you with a linkback?
ohh…nice post but really?/?