Morocco-US FTA talks on the right path, Powell

The Morocco-US free trade talks are on the right path, US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, told Monday hundreds of Arab government and international business leaders participating in the US-Arab Economic Forum held here September 28-30.

The talks will wind up this year, he said, stressing the importance that President Bush grants to international trade liberalization, as a means of sustainable development.

The chief of the US diplomacy called for Arab support to help build a new peaceful, prosperous and free Middle East.

"It is no exaggeration to say that without a transformation of the Middle East, the region will remain a source of violence and terrorism, fueled by poverty, by alienation and by despair," he said during a heads of state dinner. Participants in the forum include high-level officials from several Arab states, as well as chief executives of many leading corporations. Powell encouraged investments in and financial commitments to the Middle East by businesses and the international community.