Let's resolve to produce concrete results - Veep

Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur has called on member countries of the Afro-Arab Organisation to strengthen their resolve to produce concrete results that would impact positively on their economies.

He said a frank review of progress after the last summit indicated that its benefits were yet to manifest among member countries, especially the poorer ones. The Vice President made the remarks when he addressed Heads of Government at the Third Afro-Arab Summit in Kuwaiti City on Wednesday.

He said the body must definitely go beyond the generalities which had characterised their multilateral engagements. "For this reason, Ghana welcomes the effort that has been made to identify institutions and mechanisms and assign them specific roles," he said.

He explained that if the impact of the organisation’s co-operative endeavour was felt throughout the two regions it would enable member countries to rally their populations solidly behind them.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the population, geographical location, natural resources, labour force and markets of the body provided the critical requirements for industrial development amongst member countries.

Furthermore, the agreed framework for co-operation and the priorities the organisation had identified reflected the most urgent challenges confronting member countries.

"Food security, trade facilitation, protecting the environment and deepening our cultural links are all essential elements for a meaningful strategic partnership," the Vice President said, and reiterated Ghana's commitment to work with all member countries towards the realisation of the organisation's goals and objectives.

He commended the Government of Kuwait for the its sense of urgency in sustaining the momentum of the African-Arab co-operation by organising and hosting the Third Summit.