After four days in Paris and Geneva talking to Middle East businessmen and government officials, Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, says he has high hopes for his proposed Middle East Development Bank.
That bank, with some funds from the U.S. government and some from private businesses, would promote cooperative economic ventures between Israel and neighboring Arabic nations in hopes of improving trust and making peace more likely.Owens said he could not reveal the names of many of the businessmen and leaders with whom he talked about his bill to create the bank during a series of meetings. But he said they came from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Canada and the United States.
"They were universally positive about the proposal," Owens said. "But some were doubtful that much can be done until there is a peace agreement."