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Lebanon hopes Arab eco summit will contribute to boosting Arab economies

By Sultan Al-Mutairi

(with photos) BEIRUT, Dec 29 (KUNA) -- Lebanon hopes that the Arab Economic Summit, set to be held in Kuwait on January 19-20, will adopt resolutions that will contribute to boosting Arab economies, said Lebanese Minister of Economy and Commerce Mohammad Al-Safadi on Monday.
Speaking to KUNA, he lauded the initiative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait for holding and hosting this summit, noting that his country would be proposing to the summiteers the hastening of measures to liberate inter-Arab trade, establishing an Arab customs union, and the development of education.
Moreover, he said Lebanon had asked the Arab League to approve, during the summit, a permanent Arab industries exhibition at Rasheed Karami International Fair in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, with the aim of boosting inter-Arab trade.
Asked about the main issues that will be discussed at the summit, Al-Safadi said that the three main topics were food security, improving commerce through the development of transportation, as well as unemployment.
The minister explained that challenges facing the increase of inter-Arab trade many comprised difficulty of movement among the states, thereby hindering the work of businessmen.
He hoped the summiteers would solve this by issuing three or five-year visas to businessmen.
On the issue of the common Arab market, he said that its establishment was first declared in 1964 but that the project had hit against some hurdles. He hoped regional peace could be achieved in order to push forward with this.
The minister also hoped that the summit would discuss ways for peaceful use of nuclear energy in the production of electricity. (end) sm.ema KUNA 290955 Dec 08NNNN