‘Levant Business Union’ launched

Mikati: the forum could open a potential market of 120 million consumers

The Levant Businessmen Union was officially launched on Tuesday (October 18). The founding members of the union are the Turkish-Jordanian Business Council, the Turkish-Lebanese Business Council, and the Turkish-Syrian Business Council.

The forum was created with the mission of escorting the governments of the member states throughout the process of reforming the laws in accordance with the free trade agreements between them.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the forum could introduce a market of around 120 million consumers. He said that the union could be a prelude to a regional economic integration.

The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mohamed Choucair, called the government to take the pertinent measures to eliminate barriers of bilateral trade between the countries of the region.

“The forum joins businessmen from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey,” said Wajih Bizri, the President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). He said that businessmen from the four states will discuss trade concerns and communicate them to the governments.

The union will hold semiannual meetings in each of the four states. The first seminar will be held in Istanbul on November 22.