Forum on Mideast reform to continue

Ministers of Middle East and North African countries and G-8 nations on Saturday vowed to continue a forum on economic, political and social reform in the region.

The one-day meeting of "Forum for the Future" was co-chaired by Morocco and the United States. It was the first of its kind in the broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region.

Fiance ministers participating in the meeting discussed a regional fund set up by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private-sector investing arm to provide

training and technical assistance to small businesses, said US Treasury Secretary John Snow at a news conference after the meeting.

Snow announced that the fund has currently amounted to 60 million US dollars and "more is on the way."

On social development in the region, participants stressed their awareness that governments should work with their partners to eliminate illiteracy especially for women and girls in the region

to help them develop skills to meet the needs.

As for political reform, participants renewed their commitment to strengthen the basis for democracy, consultation and cooperation in the region, broadening the scope of participation in politics and public affairs.

Meanwhile, delegates were convinced that political development is a long and demanding process, thus political reform should be attributed to different national conditions.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed at the beginning of the forum that "we all agree that effective sustainable change can only come from within, instead of being imposed from outside."

He also commented that it was not the time to argue about the pace of democracy reform, or whether economic reform must precede political reform. "Political and economic freedom go hand-in-hand," Powell noted.

However, Arab countries and the United States have had sharp differences over the need for democratic reform compared with a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though they agreed to keep talking.

"The participants agreed their support for reforms in the region will occur in parallel with their support for finding a solution to the Palestinian conflict," said Morocan Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa at a joint press conference with Powell.

The forum is seen as one of the concrete steps toward implementing the declaration titled "Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the Region of the Broader Middle East and North Africa" adopted at the G-8 summit at the Sea Island, Georgia of the United States on June 9.

Since the US plan was first floated in February, many Arabs have been angered by the US meddling in their affairs.

Arab leaders had resisted US calls for speedy democratic reforms in their countries, saying the steps that the United States deems essential to stem terrorism must be preceded by a just and durable peace in the Middle East.

It was announced that the forum is a open dialogue for participants to exchange their ideas freely and there would be follow-ups.

Participants agreed to meet in Bahrain in 2005 to assess the progress achieved thus far and to continue sharing their ideas.

Source: Xinhua