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Business
Words in the News
Friday 04 January 2002
Vocabulary from the business news. Listen to and read the report
then find explanations of difficult words below.
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South Asian Nations Meeting
Summary: In Nepal's capital Kathmandu leaders of the seven south Asian nations have gathered for a three day regional conference. The summit is to focus on co-operation in economic and social sectors but the mounting tension between India and Pakistan has already cast its shadow on the event. This report from Zaffar Abbas.
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The
News 
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The real aim of the conference is to increase economic co-operation and to explore the possibilities of free trade between the seven south Asian nations.
Officials of the regional grouping say a special focus will be on adopting measures for poverty alleviation in a region where one fifth of the world's population lives.
A large section of this population has been living below the poverty line with very little effort being put in to improve their condition.
The bitter relations between India and Pakistan had in the past cast its shadow on the performance of the regional grouping and in the last two years it was unable to organise what was supposed to be an annual meeting of the south Asian leaders.
Even now when the summit is taking place the mounting tension on the borders between India and Pakistan has taken away the real attention from the economic and social development issues. Some of the other member states feel that unless these two countries set aside their bilateral disputes for greater regional co-operation the south Asian grouping will remain a non starter.
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The
Words
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free trade
removal of charges on imports
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poverty alleviation
help for the poor
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below the poverty line
living below the accepted minimum standard
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bitter relations
a spiteful or suspicious relationship
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cast its shadow
influenced in a negative way
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the mounting tension
increasing hostility
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set aside
ignore
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bilateral disputes
disagreements that are unique to the two countries concerned
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a non starter
unable to progress
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