The framework treaty, to be adopted here, will be signed at the next summit, which is to be held in Kathmandu in 1999. A consultative committee appointed at the Male summit last year, known as the Group of Eminent Persons (GEP), and comprising economists and industrialists, has reportedly said that SAARC's goal of achieving SAFTA by 2001 was unrealistic and has suggested an easier deadline of 2008.

However, Kadirgamar said SAARC would stick to its current time-frame of achieving thefree trade area two years from now. "The GEP has taken a time-span that encompasses a time-frame of decades. It's too elastic. The current position is that we stick to the timetable of 2001. We are hoping this summit will give more precision and direction to that particular goal," the foreign minister emphasised.

Kadirgamar said he was hopeful that the differences between India and Pakistan would not come in the way of economic co-operation in the region. "What I have heard from the Prime Minister of Pakistan is very encouraging. I think Pakistan will be prepared to do its best for economic co-operation," he said.

Pointing out that hostility between India and Pakistan had been a "sad feature of life" in this part of the world for the last 50 years, Kadirgamar said it was "difficult to articulate a position" on whether it was a hindrance to regional economic co-operation.

Responding to a question on whether the summit would take up the question of regional security following the nuclear tests in thesub-continent, Kadirgamar said he did not know. "In this summit there are no agenda items. Whether the SAARC summit will take up the matter is entirely up to the leaders," he said.

He stressed that the Colombo summit would devote itself to issues of economic co-operation between the member countries and the role of South Asia and SAARC as a whole in the world economy. "It is fundamentally and primarily an economic summit and it will be the first of the 10 summits held so far that will address economic issues," he said.

At this summit, SAARC also hopes to evolve a common approach to economic issues confronting the world today, like the financial crisis in South East Asia and the region's role in the WTO and its relationship to new trade blocs that are being established all over the world.

Vajpayee will fly IAF

Two Indian Air Force helicopters will be stationed in the Sri Lankan capital for use by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when he arrives here next week for the SAARC summit. Officialshere said the "large size" of the Indian delegation was the main reason for pressing the IAF into service.

"We did not want to add to the burden of the Sri Lankan air force which other delegations will be using," said an Indian official here.

However, the Prime Minister's security may also have played a considerable part in the decision as the Sri Lanka Air Force's safety record leaves much to be desired. Since April 1995, it has lost more than 20 aircraft -- mostly transport planes and choppers -- due to LTTE missile hits, mechanical failures and pilot errors.