Finance ministers from the Arab world have begun a two-day meeting in Egypt, to discuss the creation of an Arab free-trade zone.

The talks, in Cairo, are the latest in a series to examine monetary, development, agricultural and investment issues linked to the creation of the free-trade zone, which is due to be set up by two-thousand-and-seven.

An opening statement said the talks on Wednesday, chaired by the Iraqi Trade Minister, Mohammed Mahdi Saleh, focussed on ways to increase inter-Arab investment as well as remove taxes. Fourteen Arab countries -- Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates -- have so far signed up to the zone.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service