- Coordinating and integrating efforts to adopt a unified African voice that strengthens our position in international trade policies and decisions
- Exchange of technical and legal expertise to reinforce Africa’s negotiating position on trade issues within the World Trade Organization, with a view to deepening local industry and protecting it from harmful practices
- Establishment of a working group to organize a business forum for the joint promotion of investment and trade opportunities, enhancing intra-African trade and investment flows
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh:
- The African Continental Free Trade Area is a key instrument for enhancing trade flows, attracting investment, and increasing exports
- Coordinating efforts and policies to accelerate the implementation of the agreement and achieve tangible results in trade and investment
- Working toward the integration of trade and investment policies in support of economic and social development objectives
Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area:
- We value Egypt’s role under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in advancing continental integration, particularly in achieving consensus on automotive rules of origin and progress in the textiles and garments sectors
- We look forward to strengthening cooperation with Egypt to maximize the benefits of the agreement across member states
As part of a series of meetings and consultations held by Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, in Washington, he met with Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, to explore ways to maximize the benefits of the agreement and strengthen joint cooperation in support of Egypt’s objectives of increasing exports and localizing industry.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr. Farid underscored the strategic importance of AfCFTA as a key mechanism for enhancing economic integration across the continent. He emphasized the need to accelerate its implementation and deliver tangible outcomes in both trade and investment.
The Minister highlighted that Egypt’s vision for cooperation with African countries is based on linking trade with export-oriented investment, thereby strengthening regional value chains, supporting industrialization efforts, and addressing economic challenges—particularly foreign currency shortages in a number of African countries.
For his part, Wamkele Mene expressed appreciation for Egypt’s role under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in advancing continental negotiations, praising the progress achieved in several technical areas, particularly rules of origin and key productive sectors.
He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s aspiration to deepen cooperation with Egypt in the coming period, contributing to faster implementation of the agreement and maximizing its benefits across member states.
The meeting also addressed preparations for the Ministry’s participation in the African Union coordination meeting scheduled to be held in New Alamein. Both sides discussed the Minister’s proposal to establish a joint working group to organize a high-level business forum on the sidelines of the meetings, aimed at attracting major investors and showcasing promising investment opportunities in Egypt and across Africa.
The two sides further discussed the importance of adopting a “unified African voice” in international forums, with the Secretariat providing technical and legal support to member states in trade defense matters—including anti-dumping and safeguard measures—particularly within the framework of the World Trade Organization. This would enhance the continent’s negotiating capacity vis-à-vis major economic blocs.
The meeting concluded with an emphasis on the importance of continued coordination to support African economic integration, strengthen intra-African trade and investment opportunities, ensure the success of the upcoming events in New Alamein, and reinforce Egypt’s position as a key hub for trade and investment across the African continent.
