ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Sri Lanka are to renegotiate the list of items under 100 percent concession list, the no concession list and the phase-out list after Colombo unilaterally made some changes in the list of items under 100 percent concession list, an official source told Daily Times.

These lists were already agreed upon with Sri Lanka under the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) talks, he said.

`ECWe have received a changed list of items under 100 percent concession list this month from Sri Lanka which were earlier agreed upon,`EE the source said and added the commerce ministry is examining changes which were unilaterally made by Colombo.

He said Islamabad would also reciprocate in the same manner and would introduce some changes in the list and added with changes in 100 percent concession list, other lists of items would automatically be changed.

To a question as to when FTA talks would now be held between the two countries, the source said both sides are in contact with each other but a date is not yet finalised.

But he said that there is no progress yet on removing other bottlenecks in the way of finalising the agreement.

`ECThe bottlenecks include concessions sought by Sri Lanka on tea and concessions in some food items sought by Pakistan,`EE he added. Pakistan and Sri Lanka had earlier on August 1, 2002 had signed the Framework Agreement which is necessary to sign a free trade agreement.

`ECUnder the broad-based Framework Agreement, both the countries had almost completed the work on items to be traded between two countries under 100 percent concession list, no concession list and phase-out list,`EE the source said and added now Sri Lanka has proposed some changes in the 100 percent concessions list.

The official said that Pakistan has already asked Sri Lanka not to export Indian made goods into Pakistan under the proposed agreement. `ECPakistan has some serious fears which it expressed with Sri Lanka in earlier communication that India, which is smuggling its many goods into Sri Lanka, may enter into Pakistan in the wake of free trade agreement,`EE the source said. He said that Islamabad has sought assurance from Sri Lanka that Indian goods would not be exported to Pakistan under the FTA.

Trade volume with Sri Lanka stood at $114.36 million in 2002-03 in which Pakistan`EDs exports stood at $ 76.1 million while imports from Sri Lank stood at $38.260 million, showing trade balance of $37.840 million in favour of Pakistan. In the first nine months of 2003-04 fiscal year, total trade between the two countries remained at $101 million showing trade balance of $36.570 million in favour of Pakistan.