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Journalism of Courage
SURAT, Oct 21: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC will go ahead with its trade exhibition at Karachi on December 7 despite the military coup in Pakistan. Revealing this at a press conference on Thursday, SAARC Chamber of Commerce president Kantikumar R Poddar said 8220;it is a good sign that the exhibition third in series still stands.8221;
Although India has opened its door for fellow SAARC countries, Pakistan still appears apprehensive and is not responding favourably. The bureaucracy in Pakistan is reportedly resisting options to more open door policy in regional trade. Poddar, however, hastened to add that the business community in Pakistan stands to gain if the two neighbouring countries open their market to each other.
Poddar was here to inaugurate the Diamond Jubilee Year celebrations of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the oldest chambers in Gujarat.
Poddar admitted that for 10 years the Chamber failed to make any progress since its formation in 1985. It was only in 1994-95 that the organisation took the first step in the form of SAPTA South Asian Preferential Trading Agreement, he added.
Poddar claimed that Associations like FICCI succeeded in convincing the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government that opening up the market for SAARC countries was in India8217;s interest as the other member countries 8212; quite smaller in size 8212; have very little to offer to India. India, however, stands to access other market.
Major initiative came when last year Vajpayee announced in Sri Lanka the opening of Indian market for SAARC countries. Since then major forays have been made by Indian companies like Ceat Tyres and TATA, with the former setting up two factories in the island nation while the latter has also made its presence felt.
Poddar claimed that Tourism Council, set up by the SAARC chamber, has been successful in promoting tourism in SAARC. The SAARC countries will enter SAFTA South Asian Free Trading Agreement in another two yrears, he added. Poddar added that the new global order called for formation of trading blocks like the European Union.
