Time's ripe for a new vision for the Middle East
Egypt-International, Economics, 1/31/2000

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that there is a new vision involving the Middle East at the start of the 21st century.

"This vision necessitates that the Arab-Israeli conflict be left behind," he said.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Moussa said that Egypt will continue its relentless efforts to see this chapter of the Arab-Israeli conflict closed in a just and comprehensive way.

In his address, Moussa said all countries in the region have to move together and not at the expense of one other.

Moussa added that peoples of the region should think together of the peace we can build after the Arab-Israeli conflict is over.

He further said we must think of the best way through which we can promote economic integration and cooperation, pursue disarmament and protect the environment.

He said that the scope of the Middle East is expanded taking into account the fact that it is an area near the horn of Africa and the Mediterranean and that Egypt is part of Africa.

Moussa said that in Egypt we give top priority to integrate into the global economy.

He voiced hope that Egypt will be soon able to sign the European partnership agreement in the future. He added that this will enable Egypt establish free trade zone between Egypt and the European communities.

He further expressed satisfaction that the World Economic Forum has devoted key session to the dialogue between Islam and the West, and underlined that both parties should work to improve mutual understanding.

Following is the text of the speech of Egyptian Foreign Minister Moussa before the world economic forum in session in Davos:

Two decades ago, Egypt tabled a bold vision of peace for the Middle East. Since that time, we have, with the help of our friends, signed, led, pushed, negotiated, facilitated, brokered, corrected and supported many agreements to realize this vision.

Today, we have no illusion about the difficulties that still lie ahead or about the indispensable requisites for a just and comprehensive peace.

Yet the question would like to put forth to you today is a different one. One that is in tune with the theme of our annual meeting.

New beginnings making a difference. It is about the future. For half a century, our Region has been totally consumed with the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The question that haunted us was, what if the peace process fails? we have not asked ourselves the other question, what when the peace process succeeds?

Assuming that this should happen during the next year or very few years, what next? what after the peace process?

How shall we build the Middle East post Arab-Israeli conflict?

The time has come for a new vision for the Middle East. It is always difficult to predict the future for it often surprises us.

Yet, opportunities to rethink, reshape and even recreate the Middle East from many perspectives beckon us.

A large opening for creative leadership, new institutions and expanded actions is appearing before us as an opening which cries out, most importantly, for bold leadership.

There are more questions than answers, but it is in asking these questions that we can prepare the ground for our intellectuals, opinion formers and peoples to contribute to this new vision.

How best can we promote economic integration and cooperation? What are the organizations most suitable for promoting regional security and stability, to creating an environment based, not on fear and mistrust, but on confidence.

How do we pursue disarmament and protect the environment? What are the new institutional frameworks that can promote technological cooperation, the spread of information technology and moving towards common markets for goods, services and investment in this Region? Where do we draw its boundaries? Above all, how can we change the "Neighborhood" image of the Middle East into a safe one?

We believe that the scope of the Middle East should be expanded bearing in mind the proximity and interrelationship with the Horn of Africa and the Mediterranean. An area of tremendous resources and great potentials. We, in Egypt, are focused on the future. As we formulate this new vision, we feel that we are on the right track.

First and foremost, our business-driven economic agenda has turned around the Egyptian economy and allowed our private sector to unleash its great potential.

Efforts are being devoted to creating a knowledge-based economy.

This is complemented by enhancing the role of civil society and human resource development.

President Mubarak has recently commissioned a new government with a view to formulating a comprehensive and dynamic vision of Egypt's future.

In this vein, we have launched a new national project for technological revival.

One of the key components of this project is software development.

I am glad to report to you that the software market in Egypt is growing at a rate of 32 percent per year, the second highest in the world.

More than four hundred companies are operating in the field of information technology. This comes hand in hand with greater enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Computer giants such as Oracle and Microsoft are heavily recruiting Arab software programmers from Egypt.

We are gradually positioning Egypt as the hub of Arab software in the world.

Second, Our priority is to integrate into the global economy. We hope to sign the European partnership agreement in the near future, which would establish a free trade area between Egypt and the European communities.

We have joined the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) which, in terms of geographical coverage, number of countries and population, is the largest economic grouping in Africa.

Intra-COMESA trade is currently valued at 4.2 billion dollars and is growing at around 20 percent per annum.

Trade with third world countries is growing at 7 percent per annum. Cairo will be hosting on February 28 and 29 the first COMESA business conference, which aims to put COMESA on the world economic map.

The conference, styled along the lines of the economic conferences, will be attended by around 800 businessmen from around the world seeking to capitalize on investment opportunities which this emerging market promises.

I wish to invite all of you to participate in this conference.

We seek to equally integrate our economy within our region. We are part of the Arab free trade area agreement that will be fully implemented in 2007.

And finally, we've signed the Egyptian-US trade and investment framework agreement, which will be a stepping stone to a free trade agreement with the US.

By the end of this decade, Egyptian entrepreneurs and foreign businesses operating in Egypt will be able to enter freely in the markets of the Euro-Med Free Trade zone, the Arab world, and COMESA, with total consumers of around one billion people.

Third, despite the many challenges of globalization, we view it as an opportunity rather than a threat. We have embraced openness and liberalization.

Globalization is not a proposition that we can afford to turn our back on. For a people with our span of history having just celebrated our seventh millennium and given our interaction with the outside world, globalization is not a novelty.

It is the norm. We are deeply cognizant of the huge benefits to be reaped from this process.

However, the risks and dangers have also become apparent in recent years.

Precious time should not be wasted weighing pros and cons. We are concentrating our efforts on considering how to maximize the benefits, face the challenges and contain the negative aspects of globalization.

We are of the strong opinion that preserving one's identity and embracing globalization should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

We believe that the genius of modern civilization lies in its unique synthesis of Eastern and Western countries.

We are therefore greatly concerned with notions of clash of civilizations and have waved the red flag for the need to address this issue on the international level in order to correct the many misperceptions guiding this notion.

I am glad that the World Economic Forum has devoted key sessions to the dialogue between Islam and the West.

We must work together to improve our understanding of each other so as to break down stereotypes and erase the mistrust.

Finally, Egypt feels that, as it contributes to this new vision for the Middle East, it does so empowered with a rich but multidimensional historical legacy.

A legacy which enfolds both a moral obligation and a promise. An obligation rooted in our past role and a promise that holds greater expectations for the future.

We view the region from the perspective of an Arab country which has, for centuries, played a leading role in shaping Arab politics, economics and culture, and will continue to do so in the future in the post-peace era.

An African country that contributed largely in building the African institutional order.

A Mediterranean power whose commitment to the Barcelona process and its different baskets is unshaken. An emerging economy with the largest market in the Middle East. An educated middle class keen not to miss the train of globalization and cyberspace economics.

Yet, also a developing nation, which always attaches priority to balanced and comprehensive development.

A nation that is eager to achieve a more transparent and equitable global trading system in which every country can truly contribute and not feel marginalized.

As for Al Azhar University, Egypt is part and parcel of the great Islamic civilization and has, for centuries, been a beacon of enlightened Islam, upholding dialogue and shunning extremism.

As an African country, confident in the opportunities and potentials of this great continent, Egypt is paving the way through conferences like the upcoming COMESA business conference to be held in Cairo, which places the African businessman on par which his European or American counterpart.

I would like to end with a message. A new vision for the Middle East necessitates that we leave behind in the 20th century a heavy piece of baggage that has delayed this Regions progress: that of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Egypt will continue its relentless efforts to see that this chapter is closed in a just and comprehensive manner, we truly believe that to move forward at all is to move forward together and not at the expense of another.

Previous Stories:
  Moussa heads Egypt's delegation to Davos world meeting   (1/27/2000)
  Mubarak stresses exigency of resuming talks on Syrian-Israeli track   (1/27/2000)
  Egyptian ambassador in Tel Aviv: Egypt is ready to host Middle East economic conference after progress in the peace process   (6/22/1999)

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