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Pakistan urges quick US action on ROZs bill

* US trade representative says he believes there is overwhelming majority in Congress to pass legislation

WASHINGTON: Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin urged the United States on Monday to quickly approve legislation aimed at creating jobs and fighting extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“We need to move early on the ROZs (Reconstruction Opportunity Zones),” Tarin said at a bilateral Trade and Investment Council meeting he co-chaired with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

“We need to create jobs,” Tarin said.

The meeting comes at a time when surging violence across northwest Pakistan and the spread of Taliban influence have heightened concerns about insecurity in the nuclear-armed country, an important US ally whose help is crucial to defeating al Qaeda and stabilising Afghanistan.

The Reconstruction Opportunity Zones were proposed by former President George Bush’s administration, but never implemented.

They would create special zones in the two countries for businesses to make goods that could be sold in the United States without any duties.

Majority: Kirk said he believed there was an overwhelming majority in Congress to pass the legislation.

“What we’re trying to do is restore healthy communities and give people hope. That’s got to happen from the ground up,” Kirk said.

Kirk agreed that “given the extraordinary security challenges you have in the region that this has to happen sooner rather than later.”

“President (Barack) Obama has highlighted the importance of this relationship and has very public support for enactment of the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones legislation (now pending in Congress) —- and we believe over the long-term solid investment growth and investment policies will help create jobs, boost investment and build sustainable development,” Kirk said..

The two countries also discussed the need to increase trade among neighbours in South Asia and between that region and countries in Central Asia, a joint statement said.

Other topics were Pakistan’s privatisation plans, US programmes to support exports to Pakistan and bilateral agricultural cooperation programmes, the statement said.

President Barack Obama will meet with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan on May 6-7. Tarin told Reuters he expected the ROZs to “be high on the agenda” for that meeting. “We have been assured that they are trying to fast track it,” Tarin said. agencies

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