Bangladesh retracts assurances given to Gilani, Hina.

[DarK-LorD]

Bangladesh retracts assurances given to Gilani, Hina.
17 November, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan faced great embarrassment on Wednesday when after winning the consent of 150 countries, Bangladesh once again made it clear it would not remove its objections at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting that calls for the European Union to allow Pakistan a two-year cut in tariffs to boost Pakistan's economy shattered by the massive floods of 2010.

Last Sunday, upon her return from the Saarc summit, when Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was asked specifically whether she believed Bangladesh would deliver, she said Dhaka had given her an assurance in Maldives. It seems now that Bangladesh has no intention of upholding this promise.

Bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh are lukewarm at best, which can be gauged from the fact that there was no formal bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers during the recent Saarc summit in Maldives.

The next meeting of the WTO Council for Trade in Goods will take place in Geneva around the third week of November. Bangladesh has concerns about the impact of the European measures, which would make it easier for Pakistan to export textiles to Europe. Bangladesh competes with Pakistan for textile sales to the European market.

The Bangladeshi commerce minister, M Faruk Khan, said in Dhaka, "Our position is clear. One should not mix aid with trade. We do not support any aid for trade programme for a country which is our competitor. We have formulated our strategy under which we oppose duty-free access of eight products because it will expose our exporters to competition. Exports over $100 million will be affected if the privilege is extended to Islamabad."

The offer from the European Union would allow the import of 75 Pakistani items, earning the country millions of dollars for a two-year period. The WTO works by consensus and the EU requires all WTO members to give consent to the EU proposal.

Officials confess there is little more that they can do. Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar have personally taken the issue up with their Bangladeshi counterparts earlier in Perth and most recently in Maldives. Khar says that an assurance was given that in future, Bangladesh would not raise further objections at the WTO meetings that work by consensus.

Europe and Pakistan had expected a long-announced plan for trade preferences for Pakistani textile makers to be approved during a meeting of trade diplomats in Geneva on Monday, but a Bangladeshi complaint effectively halted it.

Bangladesh retracts assurances given to Gilani, Hina - PakTribune

 

[Always Neutral]

Well I agree with them, why starve your industry to benefit others? Indian and others played it smart and did not oppose it as they knew BD will do the hatchet job.

 

[OrionHunter]

Bangladesh has concerns about the impact of the European measures, which would make it easier for Pakistan to export textiles to Europe. Bangladesh competes with Pakistan for textile sales to the European market.

In geopolitics, there are no permanent friends. Only permanent interests!

 

[InFn-0]

I dont want to single out any country, neither blame the government of Bangladesh for opposing this EU thing, as we have been subject to similar treatment in the past. This is where i feel nationalism fails us. It relies on a racist philosophy that not only permits profiting from the loss of other nations, but actually is the basis of it. This is fundamentally against the idea of peaceful co existence in this world. Just my opinion.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

i'm extremely disappointed with the Bangladesh decision, as are many Pakistanis

especially give the fact that we've stood by them almost always on trade and commerce. . .i don't even know what they mean by ''aid for trade'' just because we are lobbying to have tariffs reduced (which incidentally, is a practice which the WTO strives for)

it's kind of ridiculous when the vote of a single country can have an impact on this trade agreement.....votes from so-called competitor nations should not count, for obvious reasons; they have a seperate panel for dispute resolution --if they take any offence or issue to the fact that we are working to end barriers to trade (in the interests of bringing revenues to companies which provide income to people in flood-affected areas)

 

[Nothing]

I dont want to single out any country, neither blame the government of Bangladesh for opposing this EU thing, as we have been subject to similar treatment in the past. This is where i feel nationalism fails us. It relies on a racist philosophy that not only permits profiting from the loss of other nations, but actually is the basis of it. This is fundamentally against the idea of peaceful co existence in this world. Just my opinion.

This is not because of law of nature .. but because of man made laws .. which one can oppose any time.. try to apply same logic for your family ..

 

[Kaniska]

I dont want to single out any country, neither blame the government of Bangladesh for opposing this EU thing, as we have been subject to similar treatment in the past. This is where i feel nationalism fails us. It relies on a racist philosophy that not only permits profiting from the loss of other nations, but actually is the basis of it. This is fundamentally against the idea of peaceful co existence in this world. Just my opinion.

Will your opinion remain same and peaceful and mild in case in place BD ...It was India....Just my 2 cents..

 

[cyphercide]

i'm extremely disappointed with the Bangladesh decision, as are many Pakistanis

especially give the fact that we've stood by them almost always on trade and commerce. . .i don't even know what they mean by ''aid for trade'' just because we are lobbying to have tariffs reduced (which incidentally, is a practice which the WTO strives for)

it's kind of ridiculous when the vote of a single country can have an impact on this trade agreement.....votes from so-called competitor nations should not count, for obvious reasons; they have a seperate panel for dispute resolution --if they take any offence or issue to the fact that we are working to end barriers to trade (in the interests of bringing revenues to companies which provide income to people in flood-affected areas)

It's a cheapshot,that's what it is.At a time when the entire South Asian region(with the exception of this forum of course) is acting as one enitity......anyway,let's see BD members term this as "Indian hegemony"...hypocrisy served at it's best.

 

[Areesh]

BD and it's stupid assurances. Pathetic.

 

[Malik Usman]

BD just deceived the Pakistan.........their govt....first was giving assurance that they will vote and at the very last momemt they change their decision.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

no, well in fairness to them --i dont think they ever signalled that they would support any drop in tariffs to Pakistan.....it was quite clear from the beginning that they were opposed to any EU trade concession

it's nothing personal, strictly business

though in this case, it's disappointing since Pakistan has always stood by Bangladesh in the international arena

 

[Kambojaric]

Hm, i can understand their logic, but still disappointing i must say. If only we Pakistanis also became like that, our own interests first, then others.

 

[jayron]

BD is poorer than Pakistan and they have worked hard to build a good garment manufacturing sector. They have the right to protect their interest.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

BD is poorer than Pakistan and they have worked hard to build a good garment manufacturing sector. They have the right to protect their interest.

But weren't Indians earlier protesting against Pakistani arguments of Pakistan having 'preferential trade access to the EU/European markets'?

What happened to all that stuff about 'compete in the market on equal grounds'? Why no criticizm of Bangladesh's comparatively low tariffs on exports to the EU?

And similarly, arguments calling for Pakistan to limit Indian imports into Pakistan, or regulate them and apply higher tariffs, to protect local industry, should be supported by you and other Indians supporting the Bangladesh move.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

well they dont need to work much harder since their garments are usually cheaper priced to begin with

that's why some Pakistani garment manufacturers are setting up shop and expanding in Bangladesh....labour overhead + misc. costs are lower there

the demand-supply gap in power in Pakistan sure doesn't help


this ''retraction in assurance'' from Bangladesh will surely invite retaliation from the Pakistani side in any future dealings; quite frankly, Pakistan needs to start looking after its own interests.

and ONLY its own interests; humanitarianism on our part has never paid off