staged lowering of tariffs," Rafidah added, describing the OIC measures. "Increasingly, we will be offering market access duty-free to each other in the longer term." Morocco urged the OIC to use the trade pact as the basis for a free trade area. "It is imperative to establish a free trade area among member states in the short term," said Rahmouni Houcine, deputy director general of the Islamic Center for Development of Trade based in Morocco, adding that it could be set up within 10 years. "Efforts should focus on creating a favorable environment to liberalize trade among the OIC states that is consistent with the new international economic and trade order," he added. Fourteen countries have signed and ratified the trade framework agreement. They are Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Bangladesh, Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Cameroon, Pakistan, Guinea, Uganda and Jordan. --MORE 1041 Local Time 0741 GMT
