- The 21st Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government was inaugurated on December 7th at the New Administrative Capital (NAC), Egypt.
- Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi assumed the presidency of COMESA from President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina during the opening session of the summit.
The 21st Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government was inaugurated on December 7th at the New Administrative Capital (NAC), Egypt. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi assumed the presidency of COMESA from President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina during the opening session of the summit.
Al-Sisi urged the COMESA member states to develop policies and action plans to promote government and private sector partnership to stimulate the local and regional demand. He also expressed the hope that the 21st COMESA Summit will evolve constructive recommendations to serve regional economic integration.
Since the last COMESA summit in July 2018, continental economic integration was hampered by many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Al-Sisi urged COMESA members to collaborate to mitigate the economic impact. Intra-regional trade will emanate from higher productivity and cooperation among the members in the manufacturing sectors. He stated that Egypt has prepared a Regional Industrial Integration Initiative in line with the COMESA Industrial Strategy 2017-2026 and the African Development Agenda 2063. The president conveyed Egypt’s keenness to intensify cooperation with other member states to strengthen economic integration in the infrastructure sectors, particularly in transportation, energy, communications and information technology.
Founded in December 1994, COMESA replaced the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) that had existed since 1981. The mandate of the organization is to intensify cooperation among the members to develop their natural and human resources for the common welfare of all the people of the region.
