• Int'l Chamber's body discusses rules to facilitate higher FDI, trade
• KARACHI

Fourth meeting of Regional Consultative Group of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for the Broader Middle East- North African (B-MENA) region discussed business related international rules to facilitate enhanced foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade in the region. The next meeting of the ICC RCG B-MENA region is scheduled to be convened in Doha, Qatar in 2013. The fourth meeting of the Consultative Group was convened in Tibilisi, Georgia on May 28, 2012 with the theme "International Consensus: Regional Harmony and National opportunities". It was hosted by ICC Georgia and was chaired by Tariq M. Rangoonwala. He is ICC's Regional Coordinator for RCG B-MENA besides being the Chairman of ICC Pakistan, said ICC statement released here on Monday. Heads of ICC National Committees and Secretary Generals as well as ICC representatives from Middle East and North African countries gathered there and discussed in detail international business rules and chalked out a road-map for boosting foreign investment and trade in this region. Representatives from Bahrain, Georgia, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria and UAE attended this important regional meetings. Officials from the ICC Secretariat in Paris also participated in the deliberations. The meeting had the patronage of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Nick Gilauri who also addressed the opening session of the meeting. The one-day deliberation covered various topics including international arbitration, trade and investment facilitation, sanctions, regional synergies and effective representation of regional business issues at global decision making forums as well as presence of the international Maritime Bureau of the ICC-CCS in the region.