Islamabad: Foreign Secretaries of seven SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, including India, today (Dec 31, 2003) began deliberations to finalise a broad agenda for the weekend regional grouping summit that is expected to focus on a framework for South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Treaty and ways of combating terrorism.

Foreign Secretary Shashank, the senior most Indian official to visit Pakistan since the Kargil conflict in 1999, is attending the two-day Standing Committee meeting presided over by Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar.

They would try to work out agreements and convention on suppressing terrorism, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance, trafficking of women and children.

Their recommendations would be taken up at the two-day ministerial-level meeting beginning on January 2, ahead of the three-day summit beginning on January 4.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be arriving on January 3, a day before the summit.

Other issues being discussed by the Foreign Secretaries included a framework for SAFTA and implementation of a comprehensive report on poverty alleviation.

SAARC countries have already exchanged lists of tariff preferences during several rounds of talks held under South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA). SAARC countries are now looking forward to take up more ambitious undertakings like SAFTA to pave the way for free trade process in the sub-continent.