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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Linking up
The ambitious mega-project inaugurated this week by President Mubarak and King Abdullah II represents a practical implementation of decades-old slogans on the importance of enhancing Arab cooperation.For years, Arab countries have exerted tremendous efforts to achieve political consensus. This goal was never reached. Meanwhile, joint economic projects were always held hostage to political circumstances. One argument that has been ignored too often holds that strengthening economic ties would be a judicious first step on the road to political consensus. When the peoples of the region feel that their interests are strongly linked, and that such relations are of great benefit to all parties involved, Arab governments will have to think more than twice before getting involved in trivial political disputes.
The $229 million electricity grid inaugurated by President Mubarak and King Abdullah is one project that has great prospects for linking the countries of the region. By 2002, the project should include Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, reducing the cost of investments in new power plants and allowing all these countries to expand their respective national projects.
The inauguration is also a clear signal of support for Jordan's new king and his government. Shortly after King Hussein's death a month ago, Israeli officials stated that only Israel would offer Amman true support. This week, Israel showed what it meant, by announcing that it will not fulfil its agreement with Jordan to provide it with badly needed water -- an obligation included in their 1994 peace treaty. This should be a clear example of what all the Arab countries should expect from Israel, even after signing peace agreements and "normalising" relations.
Regardless of Israel's habitual dissembling, then, the opening of the electricity project on Tuesday was the first step in the right direction towards strengthening Arab ties and economies. Now, we can only hope that bigger steps will follow to include more Arab countries, and establish a solidarity based on concrete, reciprocal benefit.
