São Paulo – Egypt’s seaside resort Sharm El Sheikh will host this Wednesday (10th) a summit of three economic blocs in Africa to discuss a new free trade zone in the continent. The meeting will be attended by representatives from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the African news agency Panapress has reported.
The blocs have a combined total of 25 member countries: Egypt, Eritrea, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Djibouti, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Madagascar.
According to Panapress, these nations represent 57% of the continent’s population. The spokesperson of Egypt’s presidency, Alla Youssed, said that the summit will be remembered by the signing of an agreement establishing a free trade zone among the three blocs. The act symbolize the first stage of negotiations between the blocs. Representatives of the governments involved are together since Saturday in Egypt, and this Wednesday is scheduled a meeting with the heads of State and Government.
The goals of the treaty are, according to the news agency, the economic and social development of the member countries, the creation of a common market that would allow the free flow of goods, services and businessmen, the promotion of trade and the continental integration.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum and Sérgio Kakitani
