Foreign ministers of SAARC countries will meet in Islamabad for a two-day session from July 20 to discuss progress on the South Asia Free Trade Agreement and some Indian proposals, including establishing a food bank and South Asian Development Bank.
This will be External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's first visit to Pakistan after assuming office.
Singh, who was India's ambassádor to Pakistan in 1980-82, will have a busy schedule in Pakistan. Apart from the SAARC conference, he will have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from all seven member countries.
The minister is scheduled to meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf twice -- first on July 20 when all SAARC foreign ministers will call on the Pakistan president and then again when he has a one-to-one meeting with him after the two-day conference ends.
Singh will also meet Prime Minister Shujaat Hussein and Prime Minister-designate Shaukat Aziz.
India has been pressing for quick movement on SAFTA. Under the framework agreement, SAFTA will come into operation by January 1, 2006 and become fully operational by 2016. It envisages a phased tariff liberalisation programme.
