Common Market In Africa Planned

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29851, 18 June 1962, Page 13

Common Market In Africa Planned

(N.Z.P. A-Reuter—Copyright)

CAIRO, June 17,

Delegates to the Casablanca Powers summit conference in Cairo agreed to set up an African common market and an African military high command, a conference spokesman announced yesterday.

The conference agreed to hold detailed discussions on all aspects of the African common market next October and to begin implementing the market agreement next January. the spokesman added The military high command

will have its headquarters >* Accra at an initial cost of £250.000. Five of the Powers —Ghana. Guinea. Mali. Morocco and the United Arab Republic—will share the expense. Algeria will not contribute at present. It was also agreed that an Egyptian would be Chief of Staff of the African high command. It was not officially announced who it would be. but reliable sources said he was Colonel Fathi Khodeir. Agreement On Market The conference agreed that practical steps to implement the African common market should begin next January. . The delegates agreed to ratify the common market agreement on the recommendation of their economic committee, but it has not yet been decided where the formal ratification will take place. The spokesman said the meeting also endorsed proposals for the establishment of an African bank. African payments union, and a Council for African Eeononve Unity. Experts from mem-ber-countries would meet to discuss the site and other details of these organisations, he added.