Thursday, December 8 2005 19:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Commerce Minister Kamal Nath will attend an informal ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultation in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to discuss progress of negotiations on ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement.

The meeting would be followed by the ASEAN Summit being held from December 12-14, an official release said today(December 8, 2005).

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also directed Nath to represent India at the India-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur during the same period.

The Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between ASEAN and India was signed in December 2003 in Indonesia. Under the pact, the ASEAN-India Trade Negotiating Committee has been mandated to negotiate the various components to realise the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area.

Due to India's stand on the issue of Rules of Origin, the negotiations by AITNC were not progressing as scheduled. The matter has now been resolved and the AITNC is expected to conclude negotiations in the near future, the release added.