ISTANBUL - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer called on Wednesday members of the Standing Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to participate in the negotiations among members of OIC for foundation of preferential trade system.
Addressing the opening of the 19th COMCEC meeting, Sezer said that COMCEC was an important platform founded to develop economic and commercial cooperation among OIC member states. Sezer pointed out that various views were put forward for a period of 20 years to encourage and ease trade, cooperation among private sectors and to form common investment opportunities. President Sezer stated that more effective and productive studies would be carried out in the coming period.
Sezer said that the negotiations held within the scope of World Trade Organization came to an important turning point, adding that ''the promises which started with Doha process to form a fair world trade both for developing and developed countries have been replaced with more negative impression at the last World Trade Organization Conference. Particularly the steps expected to be taken by developed countries for the benefit of less developed countries could not be taken and the momentum reached in Doha has been lost in a considerable extent.''
Sezer stated that trade was an important activity for developing countries to reach prosperity, adding the fact that developing countries could not get the share they deserved from growing world trade was one of the most important structural problems of the global economic order. Sezer noted that the mentioned countries could not both use their resources in an effective way and also the institutions and rules which form the international trade and regulate economic relations had an important role in that problem. Sezer stressed that those institutions and rules which regulated the international trade should be sensitive to the problems of developing countries. These steps should not be delayed, he added.
Stating that most of COMCEC members were countries on the way of development, Sezer said that COMCEC member countries' participation in the world trade would take place at a more rightful level, if developed countries reviewed their trade policies by taking into consideration of situation of developing countries and institutions and rules which arranged the global trade was restructured.
Sezer said that the Preferential Trade System Framework Agreement between OIC member countries which was launched as a COMCEC plan came into force this year and it was an important initiative and stated that trade negotiations which would be launched between countries in 2004 was the first comprehensive initiative to free trade as result of the agreement. Sezer said that this initiative which was launched to form a comprehensive trade system was consistent with the general principles and goals of COMCEC.
President Sezer stressed that COMCEC members had experience which was necessary for launching and concluding the trade negotiations which were foreseen by the Preferential Trade System Framework Agreement which was accepted in 1990.
Stating that there were regional promising initiatives, Sezer said that comprehensive trade agreement which was opened to signature by the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), customs union which was set up between members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Agadir Initiative which was launched to set up a free trade zone between some North Africa and the Middle East countries could be listed as those promising initiatives.
Sezer said COMCEC members launched some important initiatives in countries which are not OIC members, as well as the arrangements launched among themselves, stating that, ''experience of COMCEC members in adjustment with international trade principles and regional trade arrangements constitute an important potential to improve trade among members.'' Sezer said it was obvious that the experience in question formed an important opportunity for the success of negotiations that would be initiated to set up Preferential Trade System.
Sezer said COMCEC reached an important stage in its assignment to improve economic and trade cooperation, stressing that they would take important decision within the body of COMCEC.
Sezer said, ''our experience as the members of COMCEC in international and regional trade cooperation is a guarantee that we may carry out negotiations for establishment of a preferential trade system, and that we may contribute to the prosperity of the Islam world in this way. Sezer said he called on representatives of COMCEC member countries to participate in negotiations aiming at establishment of preferential trade system among OIC member countries.
Pointing out that important decisions should be taken regarding Economic Cooperation Action Plan and Implementation Mechanism, Sezer said studies carried out by COMCEC Coordination Office and related OIC organizations reached a specific stage.
Sezer said cooperation between representatives of private sector and businessmen increased recently, adding that they were pleased over this cooperation.
(EÖ-ÖŞ-AY) 22.10.2003