Arab league official calls for creation of Arab free-trade zone

An official at the Arab League called here Monday for the creation of an Arab free-trade zone in conformity with a resolution adopted in the 1996 arab summit.

Assistant-secretary general, Noureddine Hachad, said in a lecture on the "role of the Arab League in light of new international data" that resolution of the league's councils provide for the free movement of goods among Arab states by end 2007.

Hachad was invited to Morocco by the Istiqlal party in commemoration of the anniversary of the 1952 Casablanca events held in solidarity with his late father, Tunisian trade unionist Farhat Hachad.

He deemed that this project is likely to consolidate solidarity bonds among Arab states, deploring that "division is more expensive than union."

He also proposed the creation of an Arab parliament and a network of Arab organizations supporting Arab common action. He further called Arab states to pay their arrears due to the pan-Arab organization.

For Hachad, it is necessary to follow the example of the European Union and transfer some powers held by governments to the Arab League.

Hachad, 54, former ambassador of his country in Belgium, Luxembourg, Algeria and Italy, argued for the preservation of Arab identity, consolidation of solidarity and the construction of an efficient regional pole capable of bringing out Arab states from political weakness and under-development.