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Tripoli, 27 May:
Ministers from Libya, Egypt and Tunisia are to meet shortly in Cairo to plan closer economic and political cooperation . . .[restrict]between the three countries of the Arab Spring. The announcement was made last week by Egyptian foreign minister Mohamed Amr.
In past weeks there have been a number of statements by ministers and officials from all three states indicating interest in much closer collaboration and integration. In February, Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour Ben Khayal, at the meeting of Arab Maghreb foreign ministers in Rabat, called for member countries to work towards a Maghreb Common Market.
Last month, Undersecretary at the Economy and Trade Ministry, Mohammad Ammar Kaddar, pointed to the complimentary resources in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt and said there was a real opportunity for economic integration between them.
In Cairo last week, however, Amr indicated that discussions could take in more than the three Arab Spring neighbours. He said that a coordination meeting would be open to all those who wished to join in. The objective, he said, was increase efficiency, achieve common interests and enhance cooperation between all Arab countries. He pointed out, though, that there was as yet no secretariat or ministry in any of three countries with a remit for such an objective nor did it have any institutional or organizational existence.
He also noted that preliminary discussions are taking place on closer economic collaboration and development between that is being called the “Triangle of Cooperation” countries: Libya, Egypt and Sudan. [/restrict]
