US Ambassador Vincent Battle asserted on Monday that Lebanon played a major role during the Arab Socioeconomic Council’s meetings in Cairo in activating the Arab free trade zone and removing obstacles to the movement of goods among Arab countries.
Battle was speaking following a visit to Economy and Trade Minister Marwan Hamade to discuss economic issues and the progress during Hamade’s meetings with US and European delegations during the Cancun conference in Mexico.
Battle said that the US government had cooperated with the Economy and Trade Ministry here for three years to help Lebanon join the World Trade Organization.
The ambassador added that Hamade had informed him of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank’s meetings in Dubai.
Battle indicated that talks focused on the means to develop the council’s work and promote it as an important institution for improving trade relations among Arab countries.
“It has been an overall review for regional and international meetings,” he added.
For his part, Hamade said the debate focused on Lebanon’s defense of its economic choices, stressing that the country was keen on reforming the Arab League and the council to “turn the Arab world into one united economic bloc.”