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Issues
The
Kashmir issue is bound to dominate the agenda of the Indo-Pak
Summit. At the same time, Vajpayee is also making a conscious
attempt to shift the focus away from the Kashmir-centric rhetoric
of Pakistan. The Indian alternative is to revert to the composite
dialogue structure. But efforts will also be made to bring on
board other bilateral issues. The key issues to figure in the
Indian agenda are:
Reopening of consulates in Mumbai and Karachi.
Issues of fishermen and the visa regime.
Eight areas which form part of the composite dialogue process:
Peace
and security (including confidence building measures)
Siachen
Wellur Barrage/Tulbul Navigation project,
Sir Creek
Terrorism and drug trafficking
Economic cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in
various fields
When
the eight subjects were identified, it was decided that experts
in respective fields would address each of the subjects. The
Foreign Secretaries of the two countries will discuss only
two issues-peace and security, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Trade issue:
Granting Most Favored Nation status to India
Official trade between India and Pakistan constitutes no more
than 1 per cent of global trade, while unofficial trade is
estimated at US $1 billion annually. India and Pakistan, as
members of SAARC, have exchanged tariff concessions under
the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA). However,
Pakistan is still to accord Most Favored Nation status to
India, while India extended the same to Pakistan in the 1970s.
Iran-India Gas Pipeline
There have been talks for many years with Iran about the feasibility
of an Iran-India overland gas pipeline through Pakistan. For
the overland route New Delhi has to thoroughly explore the
Pakistan route, find out what security commitments Islamabad
is prepared to offer and the kind of commercial relationship
that can be worked out. Pakistan is opposed to Indian inspection
of the pipeline in its territory.
What's
in it for India?
An overland pipeline from Iran's gas fields will cost a third
of a pipeline under the sea. It will also take half the time
to lay and be more economical to maintain.
What's
in it for Pak?
i) Transit fees ranging from $400 million to $750 million
a year. ii) It would be chance to present a responsible face
to the world.
Pak ban on sugar import from India
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