"We are in possession of many documents which we will presented as documentary proof to the EU Commission to prove Basmati rice is our brand,” he said, adding that India had no proof to get the Branding Rights of Basmati Rice. The case is expected to reach conclusion in a year.
"The first statement will be submitted on December 19, and the application will be submitted in the second round." Dawood told The News.
He added that he met with the attorney general earlier to ensure hiring of a good law firm to present our Basmati case before the EU commission.
Dawood also told that he will travel to Afghanistan on November 16 for the negotiations on the Aghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement.
To a question about the Special Economic Zones under CPEC, he said , "it requires a lot of spadework and acquisition of land is a provincial subject". He added that the model of Sundar SEZ will be replicated in other areas.
When asked about the economic recovery after Coronavirus, he said that the pandemic had badly impacted the economy, but now things seem to be getting better and there had been a positive change in the large scale manufacturing. The trade deficit, he says, had been decreased in the current year.