[Asia] S'pore and India to discuss implementation of free trade pact

from Channel News Asia

By S Ramesh,

Singapore and India will hold a meeting soon to discuss the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, or CECA, signed last year.

The meeting will be held either in Singapore or New Delhi.

The issue was discussed when Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong met Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Singapore media, Mr Kamal Nath said the review meeting is to ensure that both countries benefit from the agreement.

To concerns that the CECA was moving slowly on both sides, he noted that the free trade agreement with Singapore was the first India has signed.

After entering into an agreement, it was natural that there would be some issues on both sides about its implementation.

They include concerns about the need to modify certain rules in the two countries.

Mr Kamal Nath said this process has to be pushed.

He added there are many complementarities between India and Singapore such as in the area of skills.

Hence, the agreement needs to be operationalised in all its facets.

On the pullout by the Changi Airport-Bharati consortium for the construction of the new airport in Delhi, Mr Kamal Nath said India was disappointed by the move and he had raised this issues at the meeting with Mr Goh.

He felt that Changi should have been a natural participant in the project especially after the close association between Singapore and India.

Mr Goh, who is in New Delhi on the second leg of his India trip, also met Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi.