Kolkata: The re-opening of the Nathu La pass for border trade between China and India has been tentatively fixed for this month. The date is likely to be finalised at a meeting between officials of the two countries to be held in Lhasa on June 18.

The Indian team at the talks will comprise five senior officials — four from the Centre and a representative of the Sikkim Government.

A high level meeting of officials of nine Ministries and those of the Sikkim Government has been convened by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on Wednesday in preparation for the team's visit to Lhasa.

The Indian team will leave for Lhasa on June 15 and is expected to visit Rinchingang in Tibet, China, where a trade mart has been set up in view of the resumption of the China-India border trade through the Nathu La pass.

The team will return to India via the pass, located at 14,400 feet above sea level.

A team of Chinese officials visited the Indian side of the pass in November last year.

The first phase of setting up the infrastructure required for restarting trade is complete. "We are ready for the re-opening of the Nathu La pass," S.P. Subba, Director, Commerce and Industries, Sikkim, told The Hindu over telephone from Gangtok on Monday.

"Initially, trade will be confined to border trade, for which all necessary amenities have been set up at the Sherathang trade mart that is connected to Nathu La, seven km away, with a fenced-off corridor put up by the Border Roads Organisation," he said.

According to sources in the Sikkim Government, the meeting at Lhasa has been convened to give final touches to the process of re-commencing trade.

"The Chinese officials have suggested a few dates for the re-opening and indications are that the matter will be finalised at the coming meeting," a senior official of the Sikkim Government said.

Product lists

Mr. Subba said the two countries had earlier decided that 29 items from India could be initially exported to China, while 15 could be imported from that country.

The list of possible Indian exports includes fresh vegetables, agricultural implements, dry fruits and tobacco.

Among the items figuring in the list of imports are goat and sheep hide, wool, raw silk and China clay.

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