Egypt's trade should rise with COMESA membership

Diplomatic sources in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that Egypt's membership in the assembly of the southern and eastern African countries, known as the COMESA (Komisa) assembly, will help support commercial and investment relations between Egypt and the assembly's 19 member states, within a free trade zone that comprises 350 million citizens, whose exports are estimated at nearly $17 billion and whose imports total $25 billion annually.

The source said, "The trade volume among the assembly's countries reaches $2.5 billion, and it is expected to increase to $4 billion."

Meanwhile, Amr Moussa, the Egyptian foreign minister, is leaving Cairo tomorrow afternoon heading to Kinshaso to head Egypt's delegation to summit meetings where Egypt's memberwhip in this assembly will be officially announced.