CAIRO, Sept 5 (KUNA) -- It is imperative to form plans aiming to ratchet up development across the wider Arab region, Egypt's President Abdulfattah Al-Sisi said on Sunday, citing the need to eliminate any impediments to economic integration.
"We need concrete and swift steps to achieve our common development goals and iron out our differences," the Egyptian president told pan-Arab talks involving 21 Arab states in the Egyptian capital, pointing out that the region possesses all the attributes needed to "achieve rapid development." He commended the measures Arab countries have taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly efforts to cushion the economic blow from the health crisis, saying he was hopeful the talks would yield favorable outcomes.
One of the talks' main objectives is to "bridge the development gap" between Arab states, according to Arab League chief Ahmed Abul-Gheit, listing reducing unemployment and the better use of the region's rich resources as major challenges.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, he said it taught the world a lesson over preparedness and management in the event a similar crisis springs up, making sure national economies emerge unscathed from such hardships.
Discussing the talks' main goal, Egyptian Minister of Manpower Mohammed Saafan underlined the need to establish a "common Arab vision" to ensure a brighter future for the region, one that would "take our people to safe ground," he said. (end) ms.aff.nam