Participants In a preparatory meeting for the South Asian Dialogue to be held in Kathmandu in November have stressed the need for a common stand of the seven nations In respect of GATT negotiation. direct foreign investments and other policy Issues.

The meeting organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue — a local think-tank - and held at its office Wednesday, was attended by Dr Pai Panandiker. Director of the Centre for Policy Research. New Delhi, Dr Mubashir Hasan. Chairman of the Independent Planning Commission of Lahore and a former finance minister of Pakistan, Devendra Panday. a former finance minister of Nepal and Prof G H Peris. Director of the Centre for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.

The local participants In the discussion included Amir Kashru MP. former Secretary of the .Economic Relations Division (ERD) M Moniruzza-man. former Secretary General of SAARC Abul Ahsan. ERD Secretary Lutfullahil Majid. MCCI President Latlfur Rahman. Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam and President of Bangladesh Employers' Association Laila Kabir.

The discussion, moderated by Prof Rehman Sobhan. was designed to help prepare the agenda for the Kathmandu meeting.

The participants focussed on the prospective areas for economic cooperation within South Asia and emph Mined the need for coordination of various national policy initiatives and responses, specially in the light of aid conditionalities imposed by the donors. They stressed the need for coordination of their export policies and prices of goods.

The participants felt that Inspite of the existing difficulties and certain conflicting interests there was no alternative to developing a common stand to ensure sustainable development of the South Asian countries. Such policy coordination was of critical importance for the economic development of the countries of the region.