BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Foreign ministers and envoys from South American countries joined their Arab counterparts Wednesday for a two-day meeting on trade and cross-region cooperation. Argentina Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana hosted the gathering of more than 30 countries, which are meeting to follow up on a 2005 Brazil gathering to promote cooperation on economic and social-development issues. It s important that two regions that are geographically distant find common ground and deepen mutual ties, Taiana said at the opening. Besides Argentina, South America was represented by envoys from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Their counterparts came from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, and Yemen, among others. The forum will close Thursday afternoon. -AP