President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is due
to assume the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA) at a summit conference of the Heads of State and Government Egypt is
hosting in the New Administrative Capital today, November 23.
The summit is bringing together in
person or via videoconference the leaders of COMESA’s 21 member-states to
advance regional integration as part of the overall African drive for promoting
economic co-operation and trade exchanges across the continent.
President Sisi will assume
chairmanship of the major African economic grouping from the President of
Madagascar at the outset of the summit. Appearing atop the conference’s agenda
is the launch of COMESA’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2021- 2025.
“Building Resilience through
Strategic Digital Economic Integration” is the theme of the summit.
Today’s summit is COMESA’s 21st since
its launch in December 1994. The priorities of economic integration and the
status of regional integration program would feature high in summit
discussions, according to Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea.
Speaking at joint press conference
with COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe the other day, Minister Gamea
said that the summit would, as its theme indicates, look into ways of boosting
economic exchanges and enhancing the resilience of member-states in the face of
the Covid-19 pandemic’s economic repercussions.
Egypt is looking forward to opening
up new horizons for co-operation with COMESA states in such priority sectors as
transportation, energy, communications and health, she said.
Source: The Egyptian
Gazette
