Morshed sceptical about Safta implementation on schedule

Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday expressed his doubt whether South Asian Free Trade Area (Safta) will be implemented from the scheduled date of January 1, 2006 as the Saarc summit was postponement twice leading to incomplete negotiations.

He said meetings of ministers, experts and other concerned to Safta were deferred several times and negotiations are incomplete.

"In view of the situation it is not possible for me to assure you that Safta will come into effect on time," Morshed said while speaking at a talk on the 13th Saarc summit organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club.

A high official of the Foreign Ministry, however, told reporters on Wednesday that they are hopeful about the implementation of Safta from the scheduled date as the committee of experts are due to meet in Kathmandu on November 29-December 1 to resolve some disagreements.

The official said the member states of Saarc are committed to implement the Safta accord from January 1 by resolving the three unresolved issues.