Egypt has invited Jordan to set up a four-way free trade zone that would also involve Tunisia and Morocco, Jordanian Trade and Industry Minister Wassef Azar said Sunday, March 11.
"We have received an invitation from Egypt to form a free trade zone between Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco," Azar said in statements published by the official Petra news agency.
He said the scheme would bolster each country's economic position and increase investments between them as well as strengthen their ties with the European Union, noting that Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco are each bound by a "partnership" agreement with Europe. But he did not say whether Jordan had accepted the offer or when such a deal could be signed.
Azar was speaking on the sidelines of an Egyptian-Jordanian investment conference in Amman during which businessmen explored means of boosting joint ventures in several fields, namely technology and pharmaceuticals. — (AFP, Amman)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
