2. The rights and obligations of a Contracting State which has withdrawn from this Agreement shall cease to apply as of that effective date.
3. Following the withdrawal by any Contracting State, the Committee shall meet within 30 days to consider action subsequent to withdrawal.
Article 22. Entry Into Force
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on 1st January 2006 upon completion of formalities, including ratification by all Contracting States and issuance of a notification thereof by the SAARC Secretariat. This Agreement shall supercede the Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA).
2. Notwithstanding the supercession of SAPTA by this Agreement, the concessions granted under the SAPTA Framework shall remain available to the Contracting States until the completion of the Trade Liberalisation Programme.
Article 23. Reservations
This Agreement shall not be signed with reservations, nor will reservations be admitted at the time of notification to the SAARC Secretariat of the completion of formalities.
Article 24. Amendments
This Agreement may be amended by consensus in the SAFTA Ministerial Council. Any such amendment will become effective upon the deposit of instruments of acceptance with the Secretary General of SAARC by all Contracting States.
Article 25. Depository
This Agreement will be deposited with the Secretary General of SAARC, who will promptly furnish a certified copy thereof to each Contracting State.
Conclusion
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments have signed this Agreement.
DONE in ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, On This The Sixth Day Of the Year Two Thousand Four, In Nine Originals In The English Language All Texts Being Equally Authentic.
M. MORSHED KHAN
Minister for Foreign Affairs
People's Republic of Bangladesh
NADO RINCHHEN
Officiating Minister for Foreign Affairs
Kingdom of Bhutan
YASHWANT SINHA
Minister of External Affairs
Republic of India
FATHULLA JAMEEL
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Maldives
DR. BHEKH B. THAPA
Ambassador-at-large for Foreign Affairs
His Majesty's Government of Nepal
KHURSHID M. KASURI
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
TYRONNE FERNANDO
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka