ISLAMABAD (APP) - The World bank sponsored Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Agreement (APTA) workshop here on Monday emphasised more collaboration between the private sectors of the two countries and proper implementation of the agreement for the prosperity of the region. The World Bank is facilitating high profile meetings amongst the representatives of the private sector stakeholders of the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Agreement (APTA). Transit and Trade Agreement expert of World Bank and APTA task leader Amir Zaffar Durrani highlighted the aims and objectives of the project. The workshop aim to hold develops a core informal network of private sector lobbyists to facilitate the early negotiations and agreement on the APTA between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2008 government of Pakistan and Afghanistan realized the need for a new more appropriate treaty , a treaty that will provide Afghanistan with more effective accesses to the Pakistani seaports and with new land routes through Pakistan towards China and India and provide Pakistan with direct routes to the Central Asian Region (CAR). Afghanistan is land locked country, for which reason it needs a seaport as well as a dry port in one of its neighboring sea-facing countries. Through Afghanistan Pakistan can also benefit by gaining access to the energy rich Central Asian Region- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The APTA intends to facilitate the movements of goods in transit through Pakistan and Afghanistan and provide all possible facilities for traffic in transit between them. The governments of the two countries also require input of private organizations on the draft of APTA in order to ensure that APTA is beneficial to both the public sector and that private sector. The World Bank on behalf of Pakistan and the UNCTAD from Afghanistan have requested holding four meetings with the objectives to provide private sector stockholders an opportunity to discuss and comment implemetabilty of the proposed APTA and allow the public sector observers a better understanding to the perspectives of the various APTA interest groups among the private stakeholde. The first was held here , second in Kabul on internet, third meeting takes place in a virtual meeting room and fourth and final meeting is scheduled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The recent Seventh (7th) Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meetings between Pakistan and Afghanistan took place in Kabul on the November 25-26 2008. In these meetings, the JEC endorsed the draft of a new APTA submitted by the Afghan Delegation. The JEC agreed to start negotiations as soon as possible and complete the process within six months. This new agreement presents an enormous opportunity for further developing the trade between and through these two countries. The role of the private sector to ensure the implement-ability of the agreement is essential and therefore the World Bank is facilitating high profile discussions amongst the representatives of the private sector of both countries around the present draft agreement with a view to: - Provide an opportunity to the private sector stakeholders (who will be the primary users of the APTA) an opportunity to discuss and comment on the "implementability" of the proposed APTA; - Allow the public sector observers a better understanding of the perspectives of the various APTA interest groups among the private sector stakeholders; - Develop a core informal network of private sector lobbyists to facilitate the early negotiation and agreement on the APTA between Afghanistan and Pakistan; and - record (with an intent to edit) the agreed suggestions for improving the existing proposed draft APTA from the private sector. These discussions will take place in three distinct steps. The first step will involve a set of Capital based meetings, one each in Islamabad and Kabul, to bring together the respective country stakeholders. Step two will involve video based talk show between the bilateral stakeholders. The final step will be a two-day meeting of all the stakeholders to finalize the outcome of these discussions and will be held in Tashkent towards the end of February 2009, the sources added. The Capital Based Meetings for Pakistan is being held today, hosted by the World Bank.