Islamic trade development center holds administrative board meeting

The Casablanca-based Islamic Center for Trade Development is holding the 18th meeting of its administrative board in Casablanca Dec.24-25 to look into the financial and activity reports and elect a new board.

Secretary of state in charge of foreign trade, Abdelkrim Benatik, deplored in an opening address that the volume of trade exchanges between Islamic states did not exceed 10 percent of their overall exchanges in 2000 while in Morocco, he went on, trade exchanges with Islamic countries, that are mainly made up of imports of hydrocarbons, have not exceeded 10% of its overall deals since the nineties.

Benatik lauded the center's initiative to set up an association of exporters in the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

He also called the center to extend technical assistance to Islamic countries having applied for membership to the World Trade Organization and to bring closer the economic policies of OIC members during the coming trade negotiations round.

The center director general, Allal Rachdi, on his part, surveyed the center activities and moves to promote cooperation and partnership with the private sector, being convinced of the key role of the private sector in enhancing inter-Islamic trade exchanges.

He said preparations are underway for the 9th Islamic commercial forum, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2002.

The center, an offshoot of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, seeks to promote trade exchanges between member states and ease access of Islamic countries' products to foreign markets. It equally assists member countries in their international trade negotiations.