Chandigarh, Aug 28 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday welcomed the move by the central government to allow states to directly market their own products and services to other countries.

"The move marks the fulfilment of a long standing demand raised by Punjab to decentralize the export process," a spokesman of the chief minister's office said here.

"Mr Badal had always advocated the direct trading system between a state and countries of its choice," he said.

Commending the proposal, which was presently with the ministry of external affairs, for granting permission to the states for opening "Trade Desks" with other countries, Badal said that an era of new trade regime would begin with this decision. He urged the central government to expedite the process in this regard so that the states would be benefited.

The central government has asked Indian embassies across the world to provide space to states to showcase their trade and commerce potential and facilitate exports.

"The biggest beneficiary of this proposal would be the Punjab farmers whose produce and its value added products would find new markets all across the world, thus bringing remunerative prices for the producers," Badal said.