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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 30 Nov. - 6 Dec. 2000 Issue No.510 | ||
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 30 Nov. - 6 Dec. 2000 Issue No.510 | ||
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Need for unity
Negotiations have been ongoing for years between Egypt and the EU concerning the Partnership Agreement. Egypt -- a single country -- is negotiating with all of the European countries as represented by the EU. The EU, therefore, is the stronger party.
Imagine if all 22 Arab countries stood together -- as those of the EU have -- when entering trade negotiations and imagine that our countries were represented by one strong entity, namely, the Arab League.
As we know, the EU has negotiated with each [Arab] country separately before signing individual agreements. This is the nature of the EU's partnerships with Morocco and Tunisia. Under such a process, where an individual country stands opposite a bloc, the country that stands alone cannot obtain conditions to its advantage. This is why Egypt has been reluctant to sign the agreement.
One country alone cannot face others in this age of economic blocs. The European countries came together and eventually formed the European Union, which is now issuing a unified currency. The Asian Tigers -- which in fact have the highest economic growth rates in the world -- believed in the benefits of economic unity and formed APEC [the organisation for Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation].
Even the United States -- the world's sole superpower with all its military and political strength -- opted to align itself with Canada and Mexico in NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement].
As countries have liberalised and opened up to the free market, they have done so through economic blocs.
Despite many declarations in its favour, Arab economic unity has never materialised due to a lack of political will.
Although a lack of economic unty in the past did not jeoporadise the political frameworks of Arab countries, this does not mean they will survive in the future.
Former Egyptian Prime Minister and Professor of Economics at Ain Shams University Ali Lutfi, speaking to graduates of USAID's DT2 Training Project
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