Egypt, Jordan to attend WTO meeing despite Israeli presence

Published July 17th, 2001 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Egypt and Jordan have notified Qatar that they will be taking part in the upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) conference, which Israel is also expected to attend, said reports. 

 

According to Israel Radio, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher explained that it was an international meeting, and that the Arab League decision to veto any meeting in which Israel took part did not include international gatherings. 

 

For its part, Jordan said it would attend the meeting regardless of any Arab decision. "We are members of the WTO and we will attend this conference as members of the WTO regardless of who is going to participate in it," Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb said during a meeting with members of the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Amman, according to AFP

 

"Some Arab states have their own agenda and it is up to them. They have their own sovereignty, they decide whatever they want. But we are going," Abu Ragheb said when asked if Jordan would link its participation to an Arab League decision. 

 

Jordan is the second Arab country after Egypt to have signed a peace treaty with Israel, although ties between them have been cool since the start of the Palestinian Intifada in September. - (MENA Report)

© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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