J&K: G20 delegates arrive in Srinagar for 3rd tourism working group meeting
Srinagar (PTI): About 60 foreign delegates arrived here on Monday for the third tourism working group meeting of the G20 countries, officials said.
This is the first international meeting being held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh - in August 2019.
Officials said the delegates from several countries of the G20 grouping arrived in a chartered flight at the Srinagar international airport in the morning amidst tight security.
They said the delegates were taken to the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the venue of the meeting, amid heavy deployment of security personnel along the route.
The stretch has received a facelift with G20 logos painted on walls and hoardings to welcome the delegates.
Officials said stringent security arrangements have been made to ensure that the event concludes incident-free.
While the Boulevard Road around the SKICC has been made a no-go zone for the three days, there is massive deployment of security forces on the route taken by the delegates, and the Airport Road to Dalgate stretch, officials said.
They said security has been beefed up across the valley with the elite NSG and Marine Commandos helping police and paramilitary forces to secure the venues of the event, they said.
Sanitisation and "area domination" exercises have been carried out in and around the venues, along the route and at vulnerable spots of the city. Scanners and sniffer dogs have been pressed into action to check for any explosives or IEDs, the officials added.
Vehicles passing through the city are being randomly checked to ensure that no subversive elements manage to enter the city, officials said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has roped in the Army to cover the higher reaches of the Zabarwan Range overlooking the meeting venue and accommodation facilities for the guests.
Thirty companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which had earlier been taken out of Jammu and Kashmir for election duty in the rest of the country, have since been recalled to further strengthen security in the valley.
The NSG's counter-drone unit has been pressed into service to ensure that no unwanted aerial intrusion takes place.
According to officials, there is no restriction on the movement of people or public transport in the city or elsewhere, the officials said.
They said shops and business establishments were open across the city and life was "absolutely normal".
Srinagar city has been spruced up for the three-day working group meeting on tourism which begins later in the day. Several projects, which were part of Srinagar Smart City, were taken up on priority and the city has been decked up for the international event.
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India, New Zealand ink free trade agreement
New Delhi (PTI): India and New Zealand on Monday inked a free trade agreement, aimed at boosting two-way commerce and investments.
The pact was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and visiting New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay.
The FTA provides duty-free access for 100 per cent of India's exports to New Zealand, covering all tariff lines or produce categories, and is expected to significantly boost MSMEs and employment by enhancing competitiveness in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods.
Earlier, New Zealand maintained peak tariffs of up to 10 per cent on key Indian exports, including ceramics, carpets, automobiles, and auto components.
With zero-duty market access from entry into force as New Zealand's other trade partners, Indian products will be fully competitive in that country, enjoying a level playing field.
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Significantly, India also secured duty-free inputs for its manufacturing sector, including wooden logs, coking coal, and waste and scraps of metals, lowering production costs and enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian industry.
On the other hand, India has offered tariff liberalisation on 70.03 per cent of tariff lines covering 95 per cent of bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97 per cent of tariff lines excluded to protect India's sensitive sectors.
The products that are kept in exclusion are mainly -- dairy (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese etc.), animal products (other than sheep meat), agricultural products (onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds), sugar, artificial honey, animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils, arms and ammunition, gems and jewellery, copper and articles thereof (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils), aluminium and articles thereof (ingots, billets, wire bars) among others.
On 30 per cent of tariff lines of New Zealand, India will provide duty elimination on goods such as wood, wool, sheep meat, and leather-raw hides.
Similarly, 35.60 per cent of tariff lines are subject to phased elimination over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years, including petroleum oil, malt extract, vegetable oils, selected electrical and mechanical machinery, and peptones.
New Zealand products which enjoy tariff reductions include wine, pharmaceutical drugs, polymers, aluminum, iron and steel articles, and goods that only 0.06 per cent fall under tariff rate quotas, including Manuka honey, apples, kiwi fruit, and albumins, including milk albumin.
The FTA also includes a commitment to facilitate USD 20 billion in investment into India.
A rebalancing clause is incorporated into the Agreement to provide a framework for addressing any shortfall in investment delivery, thereby ensuring robust and tangible economic outcomes.
Total bilateral trade in goods and services reached USD 2.4 billion in 2024.
