Minister of Trade and Industry Nivene Gamea said Wednesday that the number of African countries that joined the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) reached 42 countries so far.

During talks she held with AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene, the minister said 44 countries presented offers for commodity liberalization while 46 others proposed liberalization of services.

She said that Egypt is among the first countries that ratified the agreement out of the belief of its political leadership on the importance of achieving African integration.

Gamea said an agreement was reached on extending to September the deadline of the negotiations on the protocol of intellectual property rights, investment, e-trade and empowerment of women and youth in trade.

According to the minister, Egypt is ready to offer its technical and human expertise to African countries to build their capabilities in cooperation with AfCFTA secretariat.

For his part, Mene expressed the secretariat’s keenness on deepening cooperation with Egypt, pointing out that the secretariat is planning to organize an investment conference aiming at developing some important sectors topped by the medical industry.

He said the secretariat wishes to cooperate with Egypt’s medical industry sector to benefit from the Egyptian expertise in the field of producing medical equipment and medicines.

Source: State Information Service Egypt