Egypt\'s Planning and International Cooperation Minister Amr Darag applauded Thursday the important role of the Kuwait-based Arab Planning Institute (API) in backing the development process in the Arab world. In statements to KUNA on the sideline of the second meeting of the API Board of Trustees, Darag said that the API has a number of the most competent and highly-experienced Arab cadres in the technical, research and training domains. \"These cadres can greatly help upgrade the performance the governmental institutions in the Arab countries,\" Darag told KUNA. He added that Egypt has ambitious plans to cooperate with the Arab Institute and to benefit from its services and technical support. The Arab Planning Institute is a non-profit regional organization whose primary mission is to advance the cause of economic and social development in Arab countries through training, research, consultancy, expert-group meetings, and publication. The API\'s main objectives are to: provide the necessary knowledge-based and experimental skills that will empower Arab countries to keep pace with the cutting edge of Development, Economic Management and Planning; facilitate the process of research and data retrieval for Arab decision- makers and researchers; and increase the quality of studies and research skills of those specializing in Development, Economic Management and Planning, in the Arab Countries. It also aims to create an Arab cadre of multi-level specialists in the areas of Economic and Social Development; establish a venue for experts to meet and exchange ideas about important economic and social development issues for the Arab countries; and generate specialized publications and data bases related to the economic and social development in the Arab countries.