960425

Asean CCI moot

FPCCI's non

participation

regretted

ISLAMABAD: The official sources have regretted non-participation by FPCCI representative in the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting held in Jakarta on April 11.

Disclosing this to APP, an official source here Thursday said that the competent authority has directed Secretary Commerce to take up the matter with the Chairman FPCCI "with a view to ensure that such lapses do not occur in future".

According to an earlier message from our Embassy in Jakarta, the FPCCI representative designated to participate in the ASEAN - CCI meeting of April 11, "dropped out at the last minute".

"This caused embarrassment as the invitation was extended to FPCCI as a special gesture in response to our request", the report said, adding, "the FPCCI's participation in the meeting would have signalled much needed forward movement in the substantive aspect of sectoral dialogue with the ASEAN and helped dispelling the existing impression that Pakistan was slow in taking concrete steps in furtherance of Pak-ASEAN partnership".

"It would have also enabled FPCCI to introduce itself before an audience which included captains of trade and industry from all seven ASEAN states. Above all, the presence of FPCCI representative at the meeting would have added credence to our move to establish institutional ties with the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry", the report added.

According to PM Secretariat sources, the competent authority has directed the Secretary Commerce to take up the matter with Chairman FPCCI with a view to ensure that such lapses do not occur in future.-APP