NEW DELHI, Aug 24: Two close associates of Prime Minister I K Gujral have been named as India's representatives to an Eminent Persons Group, recently set up by SAARC to impart "vision" to the sub-continent's future policies.

Former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey and the director of the Centre for Policy Research V A Pai Panandiker have been recommended by the ministry of external affairs as India's representatives to the SAARC panel.

A great deal of lobbying is said to have taken place for these posts and there is some speculation that recommendations were changed at the last minute to accommodate the finalists.

Dubey is a known authority on economic and nuclear-strategic matters and has recently prepared a paper on the future of SAARC, comparing it with other regional associations. He has also worked on developmental issues in UNCTAD.

As India's foreign secretary in 1990-91 he served Gujral, then external affairs minister in the Janata Dal Government.

A key member of India's anti-nuclear lobby, Panandiker is also said to be an expert on developmental issues. He is not, however, an expert on SAARC.

The Eminent Persons Group was set up by the Male SAARC summit in May to provide a vision statement to the sub-continent for the year 2020 and beyond. Upto two members from each SAARC nation, who comprise the final panel, will not only review past performance but also provide direction for the future.

Despite the divisions in SAARC, the association has hesitantly, but surely set itself an agenda for economic cooperation, vowing to become a free trade area by 2001 AD. But despite a great deal of verbosity on the part of the heads of Governments, the exchange in tariff lines has been minimal and restricted to goods that are mostly not even traded with each other.

The task of the eminent persons group is to provide additional thrust to this economic agenda.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.