Arab countries possess fertile ground and resources that enable them to achieve joint integration in food security, said Khalil Haj Tawfiq, President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) on Sunday.
During a meeting with the Arab League’s Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Economic Unity Mohammadi Ahmed Al-Nei, Haj Tawfiq underlined that achieving integration in food security has become an urgent need for Arab countries, especially after changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Haj Tawfiq proposed holding a virtual dialogue session via teleconferencing to discuss food security in the Arab world, and bringing together experts and specialists from the public and private sectors to develop scenarios to achieve joint integration in food security among Arab countries.
He pointed to global challenges facing the food sector, including post-harvest loses and upped maritime freight rates and foodstuffs prices, which requires a joint Arab effort to address such challenges.
He also stressed the need for a unified Arab mechanism to purchase foodstuffs and agricultural crops, in addition to expanding existing investments in food industries, leveraging the advantages available in each country, and establishing an Arab maritime transport fleet.
Moreover, achieving economic integration requires facilitating the movement of business owners and capitalists and easing customs restrictions to promote intra-regional trade between Arab countries, which holds lower trade exchange numbers compared to trade with foreign countries, he indicated.
The chamber’s president urged the council to lobby to amend the 1994 Paris Protocol and separate the Palestinian economy from the Israeli occupation’s economy and to grant Palestine freedom of trade with Arab countries.
He underscored that the ACC is fully prepared to cooperate with the council to serve the interests of the Arab economy and to exchange information on economic opportunities available in Arab countries, proposing the signing of a memorandum of understanding that frames any potential joint effort.
For his part, Al-Nei stated that the council has begun preparing a draft comprehensive five-year plan for the period (2022-2027). The draft plan, he noted, will be a road map for the council’s work that corresponds with its objectives, and considers Arab, regional and international changes in the fields of economy, trade, investment, investment opportunities, and laws and legislation that stimulate investment, as well as relevant international agreements in the areas of digital transformation, money laundering, e-commerce and financial markets.
During the meeting, Al-Nei indicated that the bases for the plan is the Arab Economic Unity Agreement approved in 1957 by the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League to advance Arab economic work.
He also stressed the importance of cooperation between the council and the ACC to enhance joint Arab action, stressing the council’s commitment to overcoming obstacles facing the flow of Jordanian goods to Arab markets, especially those related to customs procedures.
SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY