RIYADH, April 12, 2018 (MENA) - Meetings of the Arab League Economic and Social Council kicked off Thursday in Riyadh at the ministerial level in preparation for the upcoming 29th Arab Summit that will be held in Dammam,in east of Saudi Arabia. The meetings are held with the participation of the finance, economy and trade ministers, under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia as the successor of Jordan and with Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit attending. The one-day meetings are set to discuss the economic and social files underlined by the Economic and Social Council preparatory meeting which included 16 articles topped by the AL Secretary General's report on joint Arab economic, social and development action in addition to a follow-up a report on the implementation of social and economic recommendations and resolutions of the previous Arab Summit which was held in Jordan. Today's meetings will also review a follow-up report on the 3rd Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in 2013 in Riyadh. The economic file reportedly covers many subjects including the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the latest developments connected to the Arab Customs Union, an Arab document on environmental conservation and development, a 2030 Arab strategy for disaster risk reduction, a draft Arab charter on the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, the socio-economic burdens of hosting Syrian refugees along with other vital economic issues. The social file covers such issues as the Arab strategy on health and environment and an action guideline (2017–2030), terrorism and social development along with eradicating poverty. The ministers will refer the prepared economic file to the Arab foreign ministers later in the day so as to be submitted to the Arab summit on Sunday.
