Arab free trade areas, new addition inter-Arab cooperation

Secretary General of the Arab Economic Unity Council Ahmed Goweili termed the agreement on the establishment of a free trade area among Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia as a "new addition" to inter-Arab cooperation on the road to an Arab common market.

Speaking to MENA on Monday, Goweili pointed out that this active drive by the four countries adds a new model to the one already existing inside the council, grouping Syria, Libya, Iraq and Egypt.

"Those drives at the level of Arab economy come within the context of proceeding towards the projected common Arab market and all aim at achieving Arab-Arab economic integration and raising inter-Arab trade rates," he added.

"Arab economic integration and the hoped-for common Arab market could be effected in full if all restrictions and obstacles hindering Arab trade flow are removed and trade movement among Arab countries is liberalized," he said.

"Participants at the council's coming session, to be held in Baghdad in June, will agree to the establishment of the Arab federation for Information Technology (IT) to be the 27th Arab qualitative one," he added. "Conferees will also review a new vision for trade and economic conditions for the coming twenty years," he said.

"Dimensions and impact of world trade agreements on the Arab world and the Euro-Mediterranean partnership will also be debated," he added.