Jordan Times
Thursday, February 26, 2004
'Look East' for role models — King
LANGKAWI, Malaysia (AP) — His Majesty King Abdullah said Wednesday the Arab world has “a lot to learn” from Asia and urged Middle East countries to look East rather than to the West for role models in political and economic reform.King Abdullah told a gathering of business leaders and legislators from both regions that Asia is way ahead of the Middle East in areas such as economic integration, democratisation and the education of its people.
“We on the other side have a lot to learn,” King Abdullah told delegates at a World Economic Forum (WEF) conference in Malaysia.
More than 100 officials from 36 countries attended the conference on the resort island of Langkawi to discuss trade and economic issues and ways the two regions can help each other eradicate poverty and improve education.
Delegates adopted a joint statement that urged cooperation between Arab and Asian business leaders that would lead to economic development in both regions. It was to be presented to the WEF's meeting of world and business leaders in Amman in May and at the East Asia Economic Summit in Seoul, South Korea, in June.
The King said reform was “very sorely needed” in the Middle East, and urged the private sector to put more pressure on the region's governments to become more open and accountable.
Few Arab countries have democratically elected governments, and critics say the closed nature of royal rule in countries such as Saudi Arabia has led to resentment that fuels extremism and hinders economic development.
The United States is pushing for greater democracy in Arab states and is hoping to make postwar Iraq an example other countries can follow.
King Abdullah did not mention Iraq or the Israeli-Palestinian crisis directly in his remarks to the conference, but said economic development was part of the answer to the world's current problems.
The meeting coincides with hearings at the International Court of Justice in the Hague on the legality of a wall that Israel is building to separate its settlements from Palestinian territory in the West Bank. Critics see the barrier as an impediment to a peace settlement, while Israel says the wall is needed to prevent suicide bombings.
Jordan has led an attack on the barrier at the hearings, arguing that the structure threatens the Kingdom's stability.
Organisers of the Malaysian conference said talks would include prospects for Middle East peace.
King Abdullah said successful private sectors could help convince Arab governments to make their economies and societies more open.
“It is the private sector that challenges the governments ... on how we are supposed to bring our societies forward,” he said. “As we get our act more and more together, we will then garner support from governments inside the Middle East and move the process forward.”
Countries represented at the conference included China, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.