Finance Minister chairs Arab meeting

Feb.19 (BNA): The Minister of Finance Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa chaired the 97th session of the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League, which was held in Cairo, Egypt. A wide range of topics were discussed during the meeting, including the economic and social aspects of the upcoming Arab Summit, latest developments with regard to the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the Arab Customs Union project, the integrated programme for combating unemployment in the Arab World, and means of enhancing co-operation between Arab and international organisations in areas relating to economy and finance. In his keynote address, the Minister called for pushing further with the implementation of value added projects that bolster the Arab economy and contribute to economic and social stability in the region. He said that the Kingdom of Bahrain was proud to host the upcoming meeting of the Arab financial institutions on the 5th – 6th of April 2016. The Economic & Social Council is the main reference for the implementation of the economic and social objectives highlighted in the Charter of the Arab League and the Joint Defence and Economic Co-operation Treaty signed by its member states.