Meetings of Customs officials of Arab countries headed by Kuwait begin

The meetings of the General Secretariat of the Arab League, chaired by the Director General of the General Administration of Customs of Kuwait, Mr. Gamal Hbadel Al-Jalawi, and with the participation of the Directors of Customs of the Arab countries and the Ambbadador Kamal Hbadan Ali, Under-Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the League of Arab States, began Wednesday.

The Director General of the General Administration of Kuwait Customs, Councilor Jamal Al-Jalawi, "Chairman of the Meeting", congratulated Egypt on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the glorious 23 July, expressing the hope that Egyptian security and stability would be achieved.

"In these meetings we are looking for the desired objectives, such as trade facilitation and trade and economic integration, with a view to creating a united Arab Customs Union.

He emphasized the important role of Directors General of Customs in facilitating the flow of trade and standardizing customs work by overcoming difficulties by developing a consensual formula, accelerating the completion of projects, initiatives and trade agreements. customs cooperation, putting them into practice and producing the desired results.

He praised the lifting of the reservations of some Arab countries present at the sub-meetings, which facilitates the work of the customs officials, noting that there are some reservations "that we seek to raise during these meetings, particularly in with regard to unified Arab customs legislation ".

Mr. Al-Jallawi welcomed the lifting by Egypt of the many reservations made at previous meetings, leaving only a few, and called on the Directors General of Customs to submit a detailed report to the next meeting of the Arab Economic and Social Council, with fewer reservations on previous reports.

Al-Jallawi expressed the hope that the visions of the Arab delegations would be closer to the reduction of existing reserves and the search for consensus on the proposed projects.

For his part, Ambbadador Kamal Hbadan Ali, Under-Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the Arab League, said that this meeting was facing many challenges of the region, both political and security, as many Arab countries faced with terrorism in more than one country and the challenge of instability. In a number of countries, these challenges cast a shadow over the common Arab action and the process of Arab trade and economic integration.

He added that many global challenges also darken the Arab region, particularly those of the World Trade Organization and multilateral trade, particularly with regard to the US-led trade and customs war between the United States and the United States. America and China, the United States of America and other countries, Has gone against the general direction taken by the World Trade Organization in the facilitation of exchanges, pointing out that all these things cast a shadow over the movement of trade in the Arab region.

The Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the League of Arab States called on Arab customs officials to prepare for the repercussions of the challenges facing the world and to darken the Arab region.

He pointed out that there were other positive indicators in the region of Arab Africa, including the creation of the Free Trade Area in Africa, which would complement the largest Arab Free Trade Area. , more than half of the Arab population living in Africa, which will greatly facilitate trade and cooperation between Arab and African parties.
He added that the two-day meeting will deal with a number of topics and reports from trade-related sub-committees and the need to study the reports of these committees and to lift the reservations contained therein, particularly as regards unified Arab customs law.

He pointed out that progress had been made in some areas, including the conclusion of a customs cooperation agreement approved by three countries: Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as well as two requests from Kuwait and the United States. Libya to sign this agreement, pointing out that the acceleration of the entry into force of this agreement signed by seven Arab countries, We hastened to reach the stage of the customs union Arab, the stage of customs cooperation being an intermediate step between the free trade area and the customs union, in order to achieve the desired stage of Arab economic integration.
He pointed out that the Arab Free Trade Area had reached a major milestone in the implementation of its targets since 98% of the detailed rules of origin for Arab products traded in the region had been completed and that it had been completed. there was little difference between them. Beirut's round of negotiations on the agreement on trade in services in the region, signed by a number of Arab countries, was concluded: the volume of trade in services is 38%, while the trade in services does not exceed 12%.

He highlighted what had been accomplished under the transparency mechanism between the Arab countries to remedy the measures and restrictions imposed on the Greater Free Trade Area, adopted at the Arab Economic Summit in Beirut, which facilitates the flow of trade between Arab countries.

The meeting will discuss a number of issues related to the unified Arab Customs Union, including the study of a memorandum on the reservations of certain Arab countries to certain articles of unified Arab customs legislation, with the aim of developing a consensual formula and submit them to the Economic and Social Council. The Arab Initiative on Supply Chain Security and Facilitation and the Customs Cooperation Agreement in the Arab World to urge States that have not signed the Convention, as currently drafted, to sign Pursuant to Resolutions of the Economic and Social Council.

The meeting will also consider a memorandum on the organization of transit transport between "modified" Arab countries in order to promote and develop economic links between the Arab member countries of the Free Trade Area, considering that land transport of goods is one of the most important elements or obstacles to these links between the achievement of Arab trade. interfaces