Dhaka continuing bilateral, regional trade talks: Faruk

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FE Report
Bangladesh continues bilateral, regional and multilateral negotiations as the multilateral regime talks remain stalled, said commerce minister M Faruk Khan on Sunday.
"We are participating in the APTA meeting on December 15 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India this month to expand bilateral trade," he said at a press conference in the city on his return from Geneva after attending the seventh WTO Ministerial from November 30 to December 2.
The country has opened a trade centre in Trinidad and Tobago and is planning to open two more in Dubai and Tokyo, he added.
"This will help the traders do business in the regions more comfortably," Mr Faruk said.
He said the country will pursue its legitimate demands in the multilateral forum.
"In the ministerial, we made it clear that we did not come here to ask for aid rather we seek an environment where we can do business properly," he said.
Referring to the US market, the minister said the average tariff on Bangladeshi products in the market is 17 per cent, whereas, it is only 5 per cent for the rich countries.
"It is discrimination and we sought remedies in the meeting," he added.
All the participating countries wanted to conclude the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) by 2010 but many were frustrated as the negotiations continued for the last nine years, he said.
"But in general, we are hopeful that the negotiations will be over next year," he added. A 14-member Bangladesh delegation comprising government officials, businessmen and researchers took part in the ministerial.
The delegation had a series of sideline meetings with officials from Zambia, Uganda, South Africa, Cambodia, Lesotho, SAARC and OIC countries.