President Obama’s special representative Marc Grossman said on Saturday that Pakistan lied at the heart of tremendous trade prospects between Central and South Asia, adding that relationship between Pakistan and India was integral to realise regional economic integration.
“One of the things that we will work in future years is to increase the amount of trade and investment in the whole region – the concept of a new Silk Road of an economic region integrated from Central Asia to New Delhi, maybe even to Bangladesh. Who is at the center? The center is Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the Obama administration’s special representative said. Grossman said he wished to see a day when goods moved back and forth from Central Asia to India, through Afghanistan and Pakistan. If that happened, it would increase jobs, capacity of people in Afghanistan and would open choices for Pakistan, he added. He said market access and greater investment were essential for both Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said relationship between India and Pakistan to move goods and services through this Silk Road held the key.
