ISLAMABAD - Pakistan cannot have any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Russia as it does not have political relations with Armenia, one of the members of Customs Union, the National Assembly was told on Thursday.

TO a question of MNA Parveen Masood Bhatti whether Russia has a Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan, Minister for Commerce and Textile Mohammad Pervaiz Malik said that former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting on June 9 in Astana on the sidelines of SCO.

He said in the meeting, the Russian president stated that Pakistan was showing keen interest in closer ties between Eurasian Economic Union and Pakistan. If Pakistan submits a statement, Russia can consider FTA within the framework of EEU.

Malik, however, pointed out that Pakistan ambassador in Moscow, last year informed that Pakistan could not enter into Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) because Armenia is also a member of this Customs Union and Pakistan does not have political relations with Armenia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been requested to clarify whether Pakistan should make a formal statement to the EAEU as suggested by the Russian president in the above referred meeting with our prime minister. After getting response from the MoFA, the Ministry of Commerce shall plan accordingly, he said.

Answering another question, Malik said no trade agreement has been signed with Afghanistan during the last three years. He said total volume of Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan during 2016-17 was $1623 of which Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan amount to $1286 million and the value of imports from Afghanistan to Pakistan was $337 million.

The minster said that imports from China have swelled while exports had reduced during last five years.

He said in 2012-13 the imports were $6642.28 million, while exports were $9251.66. In 2013-14 imports increased to $7772.42 million while exports reduced to $2416.99 million. In 2014-15 imports were $10172.73 million while exports remained $2126.85 million.

During next year imports increased to $12105.33 while exports decreased to $1669.59. He said during 2016-17 the imports touched $14133.82 million while exports shrink to $1463.30.

The major exports of Pakistan to China consists of cotton yarn, rice, raw hides and skins, crude vegetable material, chemical material, fish and fish preparations and crude minerals. Whereas, the major imports from China consists of machinery (all sorts) and its parts, manufactured fertilizer, chemical elements, yarn and thread of synthetic fiber iron and steel, chemical materials, vegetable and synthetic textile fiber, road vehicles and their parts, tyres and tubes of rubber.

Answering another question, he said Trade Development Authority of Pakistan is the primary exports promotion department of Pakistan. During July 2012 to June 2017 (5 years), TDAP received funds amounting to Rs5,147,231,000 from Finance Division Out of these funds TDAP incurred Rs 2,406,985,500 on promotion of exports.