IOR-ARC defers decision on Pak. membership

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (Bahrain), APRIL 8. A decision on Pakistan's application for membership in the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co- operation has been deferred to a later date by the Ministerial conference of the Association which concluded its two-day session in Oman today. New members can only be admitted by consensus among the existing members and Pakistan's admission is contingent on its adherence to non-discriminatory trade treatment to all members of the IOR-ARC.

The two-day session has been closed to the media and the final communique is expected only late tonight. Non-partisan sources in Muscat said that official briefings at the venue did not refer to any objections raised by any particular country and that the differences if any during the conference had been glossed over by the use of the phrase ``defer'' in respect of the decision on Pakistan. India has in the past opposed Pakistan's entry into the forum because of its refusal to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. Pakistan's counter to this argument is that the insistence on the MFN status is redundant since both India and Pakistan are signatories to the agreements to set up the WTO.

In his report the outgoing Chairman and Mozambique's Foreign Minister, Dr. Leonardo Santos Simao, had referred to the association's earlier decision to admit Pakistan provided it adhered to non-discriminatory trade treatment with all members. He also said that three letters addressed to him by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan had been circulated to member States in this regard.

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Section  : International
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