King Abdullah II of Jordan opened on Saturday deliberations of the World Economic Forum, which lured some 1,350 world figures, including five state leaders, and 10 foreign ministers, among them the US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
In his remarks at the WEF, the Jordanian king said that "We in Jordan have been working tirelessly for reform, development and peace, noting that the Arab world is poised to achieve significant growth in the coming period." "For our region, there is, clearly, further to go. And progress will demand more than simply renewing our efforts," he said, adding that it is time for a fresh commitment to shared values-equality, human dignity, tolerance and freedom.
Abdullah went on to say that "it is time to reenergize our global partnership- a partnership of ideas and relationships that can help our region achieve its potential."
"Perhaps most important, it is time to find new approaches to achieving the future we seek-effective new approaches that provide answers to Palestinian children who are asking about their future, that rekindle hope among Iraqi mothers, that fuel energy of Arab youth. Approaches that will reserve the skepticism of Israeli society and build bridges across divides," the King said in his remarks before the participants in the forum.
Earlier, Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Bassim Awadallah said that the World Economic Forum provides "an historical opportunity for the Arab governments and representatives of the Arab civil
society to ensure that the Arab voice on the issues of reforms, reach the world's politicians, as well as economic, intellectual and media figures, and show that the Arab world has a clear vision on the importance of reforms."
In a statement on the sidelines of deliberations of the WEF, the Jordanian minister said that "Arab economies and human developments in the Arab world need reform efforts, stressing that the Arab world has plans to embark on these
procedures." "Jordan's message to the Arab society is that Arab countries and the society should seriously think of making many reforms that serve the Arab citizen," Awadallah said. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
