Arab League asks for backing to join WTO

The Arab League (AL) has asked Japan to back the request made by the AL to join the World Trade Organization as an observer.

Sources at the AL said that Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid conveyed this request during his meeting on Saturday in Cairo with the Japanese ambassador to the AL, Kakaya Suto, on the ground that his country is a major economic force with the Arab states, adding that the Japanese ambassador stressed the support of Japan for this request.

The sources added that the countries of the European Union also showed no objection to the AL joining the WTO as an observer.

The sources continued that it is very important to have contact with the US in order to back the AL request, especially as the US ambassador to the AL promised to study the AL request. The US ambassador did not openly consent to the AL joining of the WTO as an observer, as did the Japanese ambassador and the EU representative.