ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan has called for enhancing market access for developing countries and special facilitation for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and E-Commerce at WTO (World Trade Organisation).
He made these remarks in a meeting of select group of trade ministers in Norway, in which 25 out of 164 members were invited to deliberate on the trade and economic challenges faced by the global community. Major economies like China, EU, US, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, India, Switzerland, Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Korea, Argentina and Pakistan were all represented by their respective trade ministers.
The minister raised the problems faced by Pakistani farmers and agriculture community especially cotton growers in the meeting and demanded a level playing field for cotton farmers. He also questioned developed countries' agriculture subsidies and stipulated special facilitation for SMEs and E-Commerce.
The minister also met with trade minister of Norway ahead of the WTO meeting and discussed ways and means to increase trade between Pakistan and Norway. He appreciated contribution being made by Norwegian companies led by Telenor.
In the meeting with trade minister, it was agreed that economic cooperation and trade will be reinvigorated with European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. It is pertinent to mention here that the EFTA is a regional trade organisation and free trade area consisting of four European States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
