Ebeid reiterates importance of setting up Arab common market
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 3/19/2001

Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebeid reiterated the need to establish an Arab common market that would provide a full-fledged opportunity to further inter-Arab trade and merge Arab economies into the new world order.

In a speech at the inauguration of a conference on "information technology in the Arab world" Sunday morning, Ebeid said that the changes in the world of today impose several challenges before the Arab countries and make integration a must to keep pace with these challenges.

He expressed Egypt's inclination to have more Arab-Arab and Arab-foreign cooperation and partnership agreements to achieve openness, liberalize trade and get acquainted with the State-of the-art technology.

Ebeid referred to the negotiations on partnership between Egypt and each of the United States, the European Union (EU) and the Mediterranean Basin Countries, which are almost finished.

Ebeid voiced support for local and foreign investment in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) through increase of investment incentives, development of infrastructures and creation of a human base qualified to spearhead the technological upsurge in Egypt.

"The timing of convening this conference is very important since it falls a few days ahead of the Arab Summit , which will study means of buttressing economic, trade and investment cooperation among Arab countries," said Ebeid.

He noted that the Arab communication market witnesses a steady growth that opens the door for intensive investment.

Ebeid voiced President Mubarak's interest in technological and information progress, which has a leading place in the government's priorities at this stage.

"The Egyptian government managed in the past two years to launch an ambitious program for technological progress to promote the climate of competitiveness and ICT development," he said.

"The government also increased training courses to qualify school and university students," he added.

The government's plan focussed on four programs to build a developed information network and establish ICT projects within the so-called smart village.

Ebeid stressed the state's need to set up more permanent mechanisms for the ICT sector, bearing in mind its growing importance in the new world economic order.

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