By Mohammad Al-Baher
CAIRO, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali departed Egypt on Friday after taking part in meetings of the 82nd session of the ministerial Arab Economic and Social Council, in preparation for the Arab economic summit due to be hosted by Kuwait on January 19-20.
Al-Shimali, at conclusion of the preparatory meetings, praised outcome of the talks, noting that the conferees drafted an agenda for the crucial summit, originally called by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to address diverse economic and social issues concerning the Arab nation.
The senior Kuwaiti official, in remarks he made to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), noted the necessity that the Arab states establish a common economic bloc, for economy nowadays has become the nerve for the nations throughout the globe.
The Arab world will not witness substantial development in various spheres without making success in the efforts for bolstering economic cooperation and integration among the Arab countries, Al-Shimali added to KUNA.
He affirmed keenness of the Arab states on ensuring success of the upcoming top-level conference in Kuwait and confirmed that the GulF country was perfectly ready to organize the summit, the first to group the top leaders of the Arab countries to address issues of economic and social nature, unlike the regular summits that focus on major political affairs.
Al-Shimali, during his presence in Cairo, headed meetings of the preparatory commission for the economic summit. States that took part in the meetings of this level were Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt, as well as the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
The Kuwaiti delegation at the 82 session of the council included Kuwait's delegate at the Arab League Ambassador Abdullah Al-Mansour, the ambassador to Egypt Dr. Rashid Al-Hamad, Finance Undersecretary Khalifa Hamadeh, and the director of the economic department at the foreign ministry, Sheikh Ali Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.
Kuwait has been widely praised for proposing to hold such a summit, in light of many social and economic issues that need to be given particular attention by the top leaders.
Arab states have made tangible headways with regard of unifying custom measures and facilitating inter-Arab trade but many problems need to be resolved such as poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. (end) mib.rk KUNA 291512 Aug 08NNNN