Maher express Egypt's confidence in COMESA economic role

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said he carries a message from President Hosni Mubarak to the 7th Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa countries (COMESA) summit.

Addressing the summit opening session on Thursday, Maher said Mubarak expressed his confidence that the COMESA would be able to achieve economic development, thrash out peaceful solutions, bolster the mechanisms conducive to regional economic integration and activate march for a strong free trade area.

He said the circumstances gripping the Middle East have prevented President Mubarak from attending the summit.

Undoubtedly, the establishment of a free trade zone in 2000 had helped smooth and free movement of commodities among the COMESA member states to boost "our potentials to overcome the negative aspects of the world economic order," he said.

He expressed Egypt's hope that the COMESA would implement its strategy by making use of the programmes and outlines provided by the advanced countries and the chances available in this regard.