The 99th session of the Arab Economic and Social Council started on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Arab League, under Algeria.

Speaking at the opening session, Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed bin Helli said the meeting sets the stage for the council's meeting at the level of Arab trade and finance ministers on Thursday.

The meeting also addresses a number of social economic files that will be discussed at the 28th Arab Summit, set for Jordan on March 29, the AL official added.

The meeting also follows up the implementation of resolutions adopted at the previous summits, including those taken at the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit that was held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in November 2016, Bin Helli said. 

During the meeting, the senior Arab officials will follow up the implementation of the "Riyadh Declaration" that was issued by the Fourth Summit of South American-Arab Countries in Riyadh in November 2015, he added. They will also prepare for its fifth session, slated for Venezuela in 2018, said Bin Helli.

The officials will also discuss cooperation between the Arab League and the UN agencies in social economic issues, he added.

Source: MENA