Around 500 Arab ministers, central bank governors and bankers will meet in Beirut October 31 to coordinate positions for the November conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Doha.
Fouad Shaker, secretary general of the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), said in a press conference that the "Arab Banking Summit" will gather Arab League chief Amr Mussa and 17 Arab government ministers. The meeting will also be attended by governors of Arab central banks as well as bankers and economists from the region, said Shaker.
UAB Chairman Joseph Torbey said the participants will examine "means for the liberalization of trade services in the Arab world in order to help Arab countries join the WTO." The October meeting is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Arab League, the UAB and the Central Bank of Lebanon. — (AFP, Beirut)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
