KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The General Union of
Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture for Arab Countries said here
Saturday that the first Arab economic summit slated to be held on Jan. 19-20
will be a serious step to boost efforts to establish an Arab economic bloc.
Adnan Al-Qassar, Chairman of the union, made the
remarks in a speech at the inauguration of the "Private Sector and Civil Society
Forum" held ahead of the Arab economic summit.
Al-Qassar told the forum that achieving the economic goals of Arab countries required a thorough Arab vision that put in mind the collective needs of all countries.
Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah addresses the opening ceremony of a forum on Arab private sector and civil society in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jan. 17, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)
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The upcoming Arab economic summit, which would focus
on the global financial crisis, infrastructure in the Arab world and social
issues, provides chances of forging common action, said the official.
Al-Qassar voiced hope that the summit would take
serious decisions toward an Arab free trade area, the establishment of a customs
union by 2015, and founding a joint Arab market by 2020.
He emphasized the importance of dealing with
obstacles facing the transportation sector, setting policies for combating
unemployment, encouraging investment, supporting industries and projects, and
achieving Arab food security.
He also underscored the significance of unifying tax
and economic systems, improving the environment for joint Arab projects,
studying the possibility of establishing a fund to compensate countries that
would be harmed by integration.
The official called for developing infrastructure to
activate trade and investment among Arab countries especially in the fields of
transportation, communication, roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, ports, energy,
electricity, gas and agricultural projects.
Arab countries should approve a joint policy to keep
track of concepts related to economy, technology, and knowledge, Al-Qassar said.
The two-day Kuwait summit, the first one initially
designed to be devoted to economic issues, also adopted the Gaza crisis on the
agenda, according to Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
The Arab economic summit has not lost its economic
nature because of discussing the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip, which has
been under intensive Israeli offensive for the past three weeks, said Moussa on
the sidelines of Saturday's forum.
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