Arab League Assistant Secretary General interviewed about

Cairo, December 25, SPA -- Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Tuwaijri, Arab League's
Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, stated that the
idea of holding economic Arab summit was initiated in Riyadh as an
Arab message to the world that the Arab world has modern economic
vision to move forward.

In an interview with the Egyptian daily "Rose Alyossef", Dr.
Al-Tuwaijri said the Arab Economic Summit, to be held in Kuwait at
the beginning of the coming year, is slated to assemble government
officials, businessmen, civil societies representatives, terming it
an unprecedented event in the Arab region.

Al-Tuwaijri explained that unaccomplished Pan-Arab free trade zone is
insufficient and lacking economic weight in the Arab world. He added
that 75% of the free trade zone phase was completed, with some items
inoperable, primarily the investment tribunal.