Minister of Trade and Industry Nivene Gamea is expected to hold on Sunday a press conference in the presence of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe to speak about the preparations for hosting the 21st COMESA summit in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

Slated to be held on Tuesday, the summit is expected to witness a wide participation of heads of the African economic bodies, whether in person or virtually through the videoconference technology.

During the summit, Egypt will take over the presidency of the COMESA for the first time in 20 years. The last time Egypt assumed the presidency of the grouping was in 2001.

Egypt plans, through its presidency tenure, to reinforce its leading regional role in the African continent by boosting economic ties among COMESA countries.

COMESA is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini.

COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981.

Source: State Information Service Egypt