The Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) kicked off in Khartoum on Monday its 144th session with the participation of Arab ambassadors, representatives of Arab federations, and undersecretaries of ministries in Sudanese officials. The Council will hold its meetings until next Thursday under the slogan "Towards Closer Cooperation to Sustain Arab Food Security." Sudan's Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim said the meeting is being held under extraordinary economic circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, climate change and its impact on food supply chains, economic growth, unemployment, and other factors. Ibrahim explained that the challenges require solidarity and joint efforts to counter their impact. The Council played a role in coordinating and mobilizing efforts of the public and private sectors to collectively face these challenges, taking advantage of the available opportunities and resources to create an attractive environment for Arab and international investments, he added. The minister noted that in light of the regional and global economic conditions, collective action was the only way to resolve the issues, stressing that the public sector alone cannot face these challenges. He called for empowering the private sector to play its role in leading Arab economies and activating and representing the economic effort. Ibrahim called on Arab countries to seize Sudan's unlimited opportunities and potential in agriculture, livestock, agricultural industrialization, and infrastructure related to food supply chains. Sudan is fully prepared to receive investors and facilitate all obstacles, he stressed, calling on Arab countries to invest in electricity. Meanwhile, CAEU Secretary General Ambassador Mohammadi Ahmadi al-Ni urged the Arab private sector to invest in Sudan, saying the Council is seeking to achieve Arab food security given the socioeconomic crises and climate changes. Sudan has all the agricultural potential and expertise that qualifies it to provide food security in the Arab region. He called for legislative reforms to address the obstacles that are hindering the Arab private sector and foreign investors and adopt policies to strengthen the national economy in partnership between the public and private sectors. In November, the Arab League summit in Algeria adopted Sudan's food security initiative. The Council is one of the specialized technical bodies that assist in the administrative work of the Arab League concerned with the complete economic unity of the Arab countries. The Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) was founded by Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, UAE, and Yemen in 1964, following an agreement in 1957 by the Economic Council of the Arab League.