JEDDAH, 13 September — Saudi Arabia has warned that it will retaliate against Arab countries which put unnecessary obstacles in the way of Saudi commodities entering their markets, Al-Watan reported yesterday.
Finance and National Economy Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said while addressing an Arab Economic and Social Council meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Wednesday that his ministry was following with concern the complaints of Saudi businessmen on the difficulties in exporting commodities to some Arab countries.
Assaf, who headed the Kingdom’s delegation to the meeting, urged the authorities concerned in such countries to lift all impediments against the free flow of Saudi goods. He also said his government would make countermoves against such practices on the basis of the by-laws of Arab Free Trade Zone. The council was in session since Monday.
As a means to surmount the difficulties in enjoying the free zone privileges, the minister suggested that member countries give a collective commitment to implement the regulations and decisions of the Arab summit and the economic council.
He also expressed the Kingdom’s keenness to stick to all regulations and conditions required for the success of all joint economic moves which would, in turn, guarantee the success of the emerging Arab free zone.
The participating ministers emphasized their commitment to the decisions of the last meeting to overcome all the difficulties in the free flow of goods within the zone. The decisions pertain to abandoning all restrictions other than customs, and gradual 50 percent cut in all duties and fees for goods enjoying tax reduction.
Assaf said that they also discussed the recommendations of the technical committee of the council on the Arab Customs Union, liberalization of trade in services, guidelines for competition and monitoring monopolies, besides the topics to be discussed in the next Arab summit scheduled to be held in Bahrain next March, the newspaper reported.
