Cairo, Safar 14, 1440, Oct 23, 2018, SPA -- The 31st session of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers, chaired by Morocco, started today in Alexandria. The Ministerial Meeting discussed 11 items, including the role of the maritime transport sector in the development of trade between the Arab and South American countries with the aim of strengthening economic and trade relations between the Arab American and South American countries and promoting joint investment opportunities between the two sides. The council urged Ministers to follow up on the implementation of sustainable development goals for the Arab transport sector and study the establishment of an arab center specialized in sustainable transport, in addition to considering the approval of the terms of reference for the study of the establishment of the Arab portal for trade transfer prepared by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. The ministers also discussed the establishment of an Arab framework for cooperation among Arab countries to investigate maritime accidents, the establishment of a specialized Arab center to contribute to the investigation of maritime accidents, and the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop on the proposal to establish an Arab maritime bloc. The council reviewed the findings and recommendations of the forum to determine the impact of the Silk Road and to find investment opportunities between arab countries and China in line with the initiative presented by the President of China in 2013. --SPA 22:12 LOCAL TIME 19:12 GMT 0053 www.spa.gov.sa/w774437