Arab finance and economy ministers meet in Cairo

Well-informed sources at the Arab League said that the council of Arab finance and economy ministers will hold an important meeting at the premises of the AL in February in which they will follow up on the progress in implementing the Greater free Arab trade zone, which has entered its third year with the beginning of the year 2000.

These sources said the coming meeting will decide the questions of taxes and services, which seems to be the only problem facing the implementation of the agreement.

Mauritania, is the 15th Arab states to announce that it is joining the Greater Arab Free Trade Organization, after it ratified the trade exchange process, as ratification is the introduction for joining.

The Arab states-- excluding Comoros, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti-- pledged to reduced customs fees by 30% on Arab products and commodities as of the beginning of 2000.