Egyptian delegation to Zambia for final negotiations on joining KOMISA market

Ambassador Mohammed Shaaban, Egypt's assistant foreign minister for African affairs, is heading today to the Zambian capital of Lusaka, leading a large Egyptian delegation to attend the meetings, running through May 8, of the first formal talks between Egypt and the African KOMISA trade group countries for negotiations on Egypt's joining the group.

The ambassador said before leaving Cairo that the Egyptian delegation, including the undersecretaries of planning, economics, international cooperation, supply, foreign trade, industry, agriculture and finance, will discuss the draft agreement for Egypt to join this African market as a full member.

In press statement he said that the results of these negotiations will be presented to the Cabinet's meeting of the KOMISA group scheduled for the last week of June in Kinshasa to decide on Egyptian membership in the African group.

The KOMISA market countries include 19 African countries: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, the Democratic Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.