Egypt and Tunisia sign free trade zone agreement

In concluding the works of the Arab economic ministers, Cairo witnessed heightened economic activity that included an agreement for a free trade zone in the course of several meetings between Egyptian Minister of Trade Ahmed El-Goweili and number of his Arab counterparts.

Egypt and Tunisia signed an agreement to establish a free trade zone between the two states, including a list of goods exempted of custom duties and aimed at encouraging investment and trade movement. The agreement was signed by Goweili and his Tunisian counterpart, Monzer El-Zanaydi.

Goweili said this agreement, agreed upon in principle during the meetings of the Egyptian - Tunisian high committee during March, aims at enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two states, describing the joint agreement as a model of such a pact between two Arab states, adding that other states can joint it.

Goweili said Tunisia is one of the countries that signed the European partnership agreement, and Egypt is still negotiating in this respect to ensure that it will benefit from the agreement.

Meanwhile, the first session of the joint Egyptian - Tunisian political coordination and follow-up committee will be held at Egyptian Foreign Ministry headquarters on Monday.

The concluding session for the works of the joint committee chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and his Tunisian counterpart, Sayed Bin Mustafa, will be held on Tuesday.

The committee will follow up on implementing the recommendations of the sixth session of the Tunisian - Egyptian high joint committee, which met in Tunis at the beginning of this year under the chairmanship of Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri and his Tunisian counterpart, Hamad Karoui.