<p>India may offer trade talks with Pakistan as one of the Confidence Building Measures towards gradually bringing the relation out of the diplomatic chill that set in after the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is expected to outline India’s approach towards boosting trade relations with Pakistan on Wednesday, when he would address a conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries. <br /><br />A delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry is currently on a tour to India and it is likely to attend the FICCI conference, which will also be addressed by Pakistani envoy to India Shahid Malik.<br /><br />The CBMs India offered during Krishna’s meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on July 15 last included Commerce Secretary level talks on issues related to bilateral trade. But Pakistan remained firm on its ‘all-or-nothing’ stand and rejected the ‘step-by-step’ approach of India, leading the much-hyped Krishna-Qureshi talks to a spectacular disaster.<br /><br />While pushing India for a rapprochement with Pakistan during his tour to New Delhi earlier this year; the US President Barack Obama suggested that the process could start with the CBMs. Though India is not ready to get back to a format anyway similar to the Composite Dialogue (suspended after 26/11) to engage Pakistan; it is still in favour of making incremental steps like talks on trade issues. <br /><br />And, with Indian and Pakistani diplomats laying the ground for Qureshi’s probable visit to Delhi in January, the feasibility of a Commerce Secretary level talks are also being explored. New Delhi, however, made it clear that it would continue to firmly oppose “the use of terror-induced coercion by Pakistan as a means to force its unifocal agenda on relations with India.” <br /><br />Krishna is expected to stress on improving India-Pakistan trade ties as one of the means to end tension between the two neighbours. Sources said that the External Affairs Minister would tell businessmen from the neighbouring country that India offered a growth opportunity for all its neighbours, including Pakistan. But New Delhi is also likely to counter Islamabad’s propaganda about the so called hurdles the Pakistani traders allegedly face while doing business in India.<br /><br />While India granted the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan long back, the gesture has not been reciprocated by Islamabad. India fulfilled its commitment under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement by drawing up a “sensitive list” and all items out of that list could be imported from Pakistan and other countries that are members of the SAARC. Pakistan, however, continued to maintain a “positive list” of less than 2000 items and persisted with bans on import of other goods from India.</p>
<p>India may offer trade talks with Pakistan as one of the Confidence Building Measures towards gradually bringing the relation out of the diplomatic chill that set in after the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is expected to outline India’s approach towards boosting trade relations with Pakistan on Wednesday, when he would address a conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries. <br /><br />A delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry is currently on a tour to India and it is likely to attend the FICCI conference, which will also be addressed by Pakistani envoy to India Shahid Malik.<br /><br />The CBMs India offered during Krishna’s meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on July 15 last included Commerce Secretary level talks on issues related to bilateral trade. But Pakistan remained firm on its ‘all-or-nothing’ stand and rejected the ‘step-by-step’ approach of India, leading the much-hyped Krishna-Qureshi talks to a spectacular disaster.<br /><br />While pushing India for a rapprochement with Pakistan during his tour to New Delhi earlier this year; the US President Barack Obama suggested that the process could start with the CBMs. Though India is not ready to get back to a format anyway similar to the Composite Dialogue (suspended after 26/11) to engage Pakistan; it is still in favour of making incremental steps like talks on trade issues. <br /><br />And, with Indian and Pakistani diplomats laying the ground for Qureshi’s probable visit to Delhi in January, the feasibility of a Commerce Secretary level talks are also being explored. New Delhi, however, made it clear that it would continue to firmly oppose “the use of terror-induced coercion by Pakistan as a means to force its unifocal agenda on relations with India.” <br /><br />Krishna is expected to stress on improving India-Pakistan trade ties as one of the means to end tension between the two neighbours. Sources said that the External Affairs Minister would tell businessmen from the neighbouring country that India offered a growth opportunity for all its neighbours, including Pakistan. But New Delhi is also likely to counter Islamabad’s propaganda about the so called hurdles the Pakistani traders allegedly face while doing business in India.<br /><br />While India granted the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan long back, the gesture has not been reciprocated by Islamabad. India fulfilled its commitment under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement by drawing up a “sensitive list” and all items out of that list could be imported from Pakistan and other countries that are members of the SAARC. Pakistan, however, continued to maintain a “positive list” of less than 2000 items and persisted with bans on import of other goods from India.</p>
