Benaissa: Arab free-trade zones with Morocco could give birth to Arab common market

Morocco's Foreign affairs and cooperation minister Mohamed Benaissa said free-trade zone agreements between Morocco and Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan could be used to start an Arab Common Market open to other states.

The minister told the Egyptian "Al Ousboue" newspaper he raised the issue with peers from the three states who approved the proposal and agreed to work out implementation instruments after the month of Ramadan.

It high time we set up instrument to promote Arab interests without affecting legislation in force in each Arab states if we are to secure economic well-being of our citizens, Benaissa said.

Cooperation should be entrusted with the private sector while governments will set up the frame adopting legislation and opening the way to private initiative, he was quoted saying.