From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – The possible creation, in the medium term, of a free trade zone between the Arab world and South America will be one of the themes to be discussed at the preparatory ministerial meeting for the summit of Arab and South American countries, scheduled for today (24) and tomorrow in Marrakech, Morocco. This information was supplied yesterday by news agency Algérie Presse Service (APS). The summit itself is going to take place in Brasília, no May 10 and 11.
"Among points registered on the agenda of Marrakech ministerial conference, notably figure the examination of means to develop economic cooperation between the two groups ensembles, with the setting up in the medium term of a free trade zone as well as new types of economic partnerships," according to the report by APS.
The discussion of these themes is included in one of the main themes of the meeting between the Foreign Ministers, the closing of the proposal of the joint declaration to be submitted to the leaders of both regions scheduled for Brazilian capital Brasília. According to APS, a draft of the declaration was approved during the 17th Summit of the League of Arab States, which took place on Tuesday and yesterday in Algiers.
This will be the second preparatory ministerial meeting for the summit. The first took place in New York, in September 2004, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The event, which was anticipated one day at the request of Morocco, will be co-presided by the Brazilian minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, and by his Algerian colleague, Abdelaziz Belkhadem. Algeria has just assumed the rotating presidency of the League of Arab States.
In progress
Some Arab countries are already individually negotiating trade agreements with the Mercosur, the economic bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina Paraguay and Uruguay. As is the case with Egypt and Morocco, which have already signed agreements with the Mercosur, aiming at future tariff preference agreements.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has also shown interest in establishing similar agreements with the Mercosur. A framework agreement between both blocs, like those that have already been signed with Egypt and Morocco, may be signed during the summit in Brazilian capital Brasília.
Apart from participating in the preparatory meeting for the summit, minister Celso Amorim will make an official visit to Morocco on the 26th. One of the matters to be discussed by him and his Moroccan colleague, Mohamed Benaïssa, is the proceedings of negotiations between the Mercosur and Morocco. According to the Itamaraty, both ministers are also going to discuss cooperation between both countries in the areas of habitation and water resources.
*Translated by Mark Ament
