|
12 March,2008..
Egypt actively participates in various COMESA meetings whether at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka or hosted by member states , Egypt also hosts the meetings relating to Economic, Trade , investment and Customs Cooperation owing to the economic character of the bloc. Egypt's role is not confined to participating in meetings, but it also prepares and presents a lot of symposia and technical studies, and scholarship grants to COMESA trainees particularly in the fields of road construction, Communications, infrastructure and government purchases and other. Egypt is currently hosting the headquarters of the Regional Investment Agency which is one of the Agencies affiliated to the COMESA.
2. Egypt is currently occupying three posts at the COMESA, most important of which is Assistant Secretary General of COMESA which is currently occupied by Ambassador Naglaa El Hoseny , Engineer Shereen Shoukry Head of the IT Unit , and Mr. George Thabet at the same unit. Egypt is currently seeking to compete over a number of important posts which have been currently opened to nominees of member countries , most important of which is the director of the Trade Department
3. The meeting of the Governmental Committee for COMESA states was held at the COMESA Secretariat in the period from 22-24 November ,2007 , in which Egypt was represented by Mr.Sayed El Bos , advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Trade, then the 24th meeting for the Ministers of Trade and Industry at COMESA states on 26-27 November 2007, in which Mamdouh Mostafa, undersecretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry represented Egypt . The report of the meeting was adopted whose items and programs represent the Bloc's program of action throughout the next meeting.
4. The Panel of the wise will also hold their meeting , in which 8 Ministers of Trade at COMESA States including the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rashid Mohamed Rashid will participate, at the COMESA Secretariat on 4-5 March 2008 . Minister Rashid will meet with the candidates nominated for the major posts at the COMESA ( the Post of the Secretary General and his Deputy ) to submit a report on them to the COMESA upcoming meeting which will be held in Harare on May 2008, as the chosen people will be appointed to their posts during the Summit.
Bilateral Relations between Egypt and Zambia :
1. Egypt and Zambia enjoy good political relations, and have concurrent stances on most issues, the most significant of which is the enlargement of the Security Council. Both countries deem it necessary to adhere to the collective African stance which realises the interests of Africa within the framework of concurrent stances. Zambia usually supports Egyptian nominations for international posts , like supporting the Egyptian nomination to the IAEA Board of Governors , and the membership of the executive council of the ICAO . Zambia also promised to support Egypt's nomination of Minister Farouk Hosni for Director- General of the UNESCO.
2. Regarding exchanged visits, the Zambian first Lady Maureen Mwanawasa participated in the activities of the roundtable for first ladies on the sidelines of the first NEPAD Summit in April 2005 in Sharm El Sheikh prior to official visit of the Zambian President , Mwanawasa to Egypt in January , 2006. The Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs also visited Egypt in May 2006 to participate in the activities of the third round of the joint Committee between both countries.The Zambian Minister also participated in the preliminary Ministerial meeting of the EU- Africa Summit in Sharm El Sheikh on 5/12/2007, where he delivered the speech of the South African Zone within the framework of preparing for the Summit which was held on 8/12/2007 in Lisbon. The first Zambian President , Kenneth Kaunda, also headed a delegation which visited Egypt on 23-24 September ,2007. The delegation conveyed a message from the Zambian President to the Egyptian President concerning the elections of the African Union Commissariat . Zambia was also an important stop in the Foreign Minister's African tours the last of which was his visit to Zambia in August in 2004 as well as the exchanged messages tackling issues of mutual concern between the two Presidents.
3. The third round of the joint Committee between the two countries will be held in Cairo in the period 22-24 May , 2006 which is held every two years alternatively between the two countries on the level of Foreign Ministers according to the founding agreement . A number of Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding MOU's in the fields of electricity, energy , sports were signed in the last round . The Technical cooperation Agreement with the Egyptian Fund for Technical cooperation with Africa, AND THE Agreement on constructing the joint Egyptian Zambian farm which started its activities in agricultural season 2006-2007 on an area of 100 Hectares , subject to increase .There are currently two Egyptian experts working on the farm . The Zambian President attended the official inauguration of the first harvest day in May 2007.
4. The Trade balance between the two countries was in favour of Zambia , as the volume of Egyptian exports to Zambia amounted to nearly 5.9 million dollars during the first half of 2007 , whereas the volume of Egyptian exports from Zambia reached about 111.7 million dollars during the same period . The most important Egyptian exports to Zambia are food products, juices, car tyres , medicines, pharmaceutical products , cosmetics , paper products , textiles , mattresses , paints , construction chemicals , ceramics , sanitary products and electric appliances , meanwhile Egyptian imports from Zambia include copper, little amounts of tobacco ,wood and wooden products. |