Arab cmte prepares for Kuwait's Arab-African summit

Members of the Arab Economy and Social Council's economic committee meet at the Arab League headquarters Monday to discuss a host of issues including preparations for the Arab-African summit, due in Kuwait in November. The committee members, whose report will be referred to the Council's ministerial meeting on Thursday, will discuss Arab League secretary general Nabil Al-Araby's economic report. Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, Al-Araby's assistant for economic affairs, said in a statement Sunday the members would discuss a host of reports related to preparations for the November 19-20 Arab-African summit and how to have positive outcome that would contribute to economic developments in the two regions. The economic file of the summit, he added, would focus on boosting bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and private sector. The Arab-African economic forum will be held in Kuwait on November 11-12, he noted. The economic committee, meanwhile, is to touch upon the grand Arab free trade zone, the custom union and liberlization of trade, in addition to appointing a commissioner at the Arab court of investment. The committee members will also discuss a draft agreement to establish the Arab organization of industrial development and mining, and the organizational structure of the Arab civil aviation authority, supporting the Palestinian economy, the investment climate in the Arab countries, food security and Arab position vis-a-vis annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF.